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THE
COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

H :: X ^

THE

COMPLETE

HOCKEY PLAYER

BY

EUSTACE E. WHITE

WITH CONTRIBUTIONS BY PHILIP COLLINS
AND L. M. AND J. Y. ROBINSON

WITH THIRTY-TWO ILLUSTRATIONS, INCLUDING MANY SPBCIAL
ACTION-PHOTOGRAPHS, AND A PLAN

THIRD RDITION

METHUEN & CO. LTD.

36 ESSEX STREET W.C.

LONDON

3 ^•^ %

K/'

Pirai PubUahed ... March 25th 1909

Second Edition December 1910

Third Edition November 1922

PRINTBD IN GRBAT BRITAIN

PREFATORY NOTE

T WISH to record my indebtedness to the following^
-'' for kind help rendered in connection with the com-
pilation of this work: — W. M. Johnstone, Eric
Green, S. H. Shoveller, Philip Collins, L. M. Robinson,
J. Y. Robinson, P. M. Egan, the Rev. A. E. Sevan, H. F.
Beaumont, E. F. Edge Partington, and H. E. Robinson,
and also to Frfs Magazine for kind permission to use a
photograph.

E. E. W.

^55783

CONTENTS

CHAP. PAGE

I. Origin, Progress, and Popularity of Hockey i
II. History of the Hockey Association. By Philip

Collins ....... 13

III. The Elements of Hockey .... 20

IV. The Ground— its Care and Equipment . . 39
V. In Play— the Forward Line . . . .46

VI. In Play— the Forward Line {continued) . . 62

VII. In Play— the Back Division .... 79

VIII. In Play— the Back Division {continued) . . 98

IX. International Hockey— a Comparison of Styles 117

X. University Hockey. By L. M. and J. Y. Robinson 127
XI. Hockey in Other Lands. By Philip Collins . 138

XII. Ladies Hockey ...... 148

XIII. Some Famous Players and Famous Clubs . . 168

XIV. The Art of Umpiring . .... 182
XV. Reminiscences and Incidents , . . .198

XVI. Rules of the Game, and Notes thereon by an

International ..... 206

XVII. Appendix— Important Records . . . 217

Index ....... 225

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

England's First International Team (1895) Frontispiece

PACING PA(»

Fourteenth Century Altar -Pot in Copenhagen
National Museum, showing Hockey Players en-
gaged IN A "Bully" ..... 4

Finish of Drive— Wrists turned over from Right to Left 24

The Reverse Stroke ...... 26

The Left-Hand Lunge as used by Half-Back for

Defensive Purposes ...... 28

The "Job" ........ 30

Centre Half-Back checking Inside Left by means of

Right-Hand Thrust ..... 32

Forwards passing Ball on the Volley . . .33

Plan of Field ....... 43

The Roll-in from Touch . . . . .51

Combination in the Circle— S. H. Shoveller, defeat-
ing Right Back by means of the Push-Stroke
FROM Left to Right. Note Position of Hands —
Correct ..... 54

Right Treatment of a Corner from the Left — Centre
Forward fielding the Ball for Inside Left to
Shoot. This method is specially effective in the
Case of a Penalty Corner . . . .56

X THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

PACING rAGB

Combination between Centre Forward and Inside
Right. The Former eluding Centre Half by Push-
Stroke FROM Left to Right .... 59

Centre Forward following up Shot by Inside Left . 60

Outside Right outwitting Left Half-Back by hitting
Ball to the Right of him and running round on
the Other Side ...... 66

Eric Green making his Famous Centre from Outside
Left while running at top speed by means of a
Half-Right Turn of the Body . . .76

Equipped for Goal-Keeping—H. Wood, a Famous

English Goal-Keeper . . . . .82

Goal-Keeper clearing by Kicking— a Method for

Emergencies ....... 85

A Legitimate Tackle on the Left . . . '93

An Illegal Tackle on the Left. The Half-Back (in
Sweater) has touched his Opponent before the
Ball ........ 95

Blocking the Avenue for a Pass . . . .100

Centre Half-Back intercepting Pass from Centre

Forward to Inside Right with Left-Hand Cut . 105

Half-Back passing to Forwards by Means of Scoop

Stroke ....... 106

Left Half-Back checking Outside Right by means of

Right-Hand Cut ...... 108

Final of the Olympic Hockey Contest in the Stadium
— England y. Ireland. English Forwards awaiting
A Corner Hit . . . . . .123

An Irishman's Shot at Goal—A perfect Follow-
through ....... 125

International Hockey— Germany y. Scotland at the

Stadium. A Run by the Scottish Forwards. . 126

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS xi

PACING PAGE

L. M. AND J. Y. Robinson— Famous Hockey Twins, and

Joint Authors of Chapter x . . . .128

To Field a Bumping Ball . . . . -134

Germany's Team in the Olympic Hockey Contest . 140

A Ladies' International Match of To-day. England

p'. Scotland at Richmond before 3000 Spectators . 149

Miss E. G. Johnson, one of the Pioneers of Ladies'
Hockey, and England's Captain on more than a
Dozen Occasions . - . . . • i5S

The Petersons of Palmerston— an Illustrious Hockey

Brotherhood . . . . . . .180

Th« action photographs have been specially taken for the book by
Mr. S. J. Beckett, Baker Street, London, W.

1

THE COMPLETE HOCKEY
PLAYER

CHAPTER I

ORIGIN, PROGRESS, AND POPULARITY OF
HOCKEY

MODERN hockey is a glorified form of that game,
played at different times and in different countries
under such varied names as hurley, shinty,
bandy, hoquet, and caman. The game's Irish designation
was hurley, its Scottish shinty, while bandy was its
title in Wales. Hoquet was its French name, and the
French love to aver that " Hoquet " is a name of hoarier
antiquity than any of the others by which the game has
been called, thereby claiming for France the honour of
hockey's nativity. Much delving into the past reveals to
the historian nothing which enables him definitely either to
confirm or to negative this French claim.

The little that research does discover seems to point
all one way, in the direction of Ireland, as being the native
land of hockey.

In Ireland the game seems to have been played under
two names — hurley and caman. One Irish authority
describes hurley as it was played in the middle of the
nineteenth century as " a modified form of the ancient
game of * caman.' " But the evidence of written history
I

2 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

shows that hurley itself was played in Ireland as far back
as the second century. So it is reasonable to suppose that
hurley was not a copy but an original. The source of its
earliest record is the will of the Irish Cathair Mor, first
king of Ireland, who died A.D. 148. This record, as tran-
slated by O' Flaherty in Ogygia, runs as follows : " Cathair
gave Crimthaun fifty hurling balls made of brass, with an
equal number of brazen hurlets." Evidently hurley, as
played by the ancients, was a game for individual rather
than collective skill, as we read of players matched single-
handed against fifty and thrice fifty opponents. And
hurley, under this its old name, is still played in the less
civilised parts of Ireland, a survival of the long centuries
which have rolled away since Cathair's gift to Crimthaun.

The tenacity of the Scotch, and the loyalty with which
they cleave to old friends, old traditions, old customs, has
remarkable emphasis in the case of shinty, Scotland's con-
tribution to the past of hockey. Every boxing day, and
high up on Wimbledon Common hard by the old windmill,
foregather a motley crew, armed with an equally motley
set of weapons — sticks, staves, crooks — all more or less
twisted to some semblance of the primitive hockey stick.
It is a truly heterogeneous gathering this, with, nowadays,
sadly little of the Scottish flavour about it Occasional
colour is lent to the scene by a k-'td figure, and realism
by an occasional Glengarry cap. i)uc for the most part
there is little romantic about the appearance of the gather-
ing and little to remind one that its purpose is essentially
Scotch — ^the celebration of the ancient game of shinty.
Time was when this annual gathering partook of no little
importance and dignity. Now, apart from the interest and
dignity always attaching to the maintenance of an old
custom, the gathering is meagre and touched with pathos.
A few white-haired Scotsmen, there to honour the old
game and the old custom, and for the rest a rabble of
youths and small boys. And of the game played little
need be said save that it is as irregular as the players.

ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF HOCKEY 3

Makeshift goal-posts are pitched on the rough common,
and these form* the only definite landmark of the game.

To start the game, a ball, a soft ball, is thrown into the
air, and struck at by the players the moment it comes
within reach of their sticks, extended above their heads.
The subsequent play is simply a wild scrambling after the
ball. According to legend, shinty dates back to the twelfth
century. Alexander the First of Scotland is said to have
taken a great interest in the game, and as he was named
the Fierce, it is likely that shinty was a very rough game in
his day.

There is no evidence to show what antiquity may be
claimed for bandy, the Welsh form of hockey, but there is
evidence to show that it was vigorously played by the
Welsh at the beginning of the nineteenth century. In a
small work entitled The Kalendar of Amusements occurs
the following account of bandy, played by the peasantry
of Wales, and written in 1830. After remarking on the
proneness of the Welsh towards all sports, and their manner
of devoting their evenings to rural dissipations, the writer
goes on to say, " But the most popular of all the rural
diversions of the Vale of Glamorgan is the important game
of bandy. It consists in a contention between two sets of
players which of them shall succeed in striking a ball with
bent sticks along the ground to opposite goals. Even the
loftiest pride of a parish is its repute at this game ; and a
rivalship about it between two neighbouring parishes will
occasion such heartburnings and bickerings as may not
very readily be conceived." The account then proceeds to
a graphic and humoious description of a match played
between two rival parishes — Llantwyt and Llancarvan.
The contest was decided on the seashore, " upon a field of
hard sand," and was eagerly watched by the assembled
inhabitants of the vale. Hard hitting was the vogue and
** under-cutting," players sending the ball with " blows of
their bandies whizzing aloft through the air." After a
while excitement ran so high that the spectators could no

4 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

longer control themselves and " closed down with a roar "
upon the play and players, and the ball got lost among the
throng, concealed deliberately by a female partisan. Either
team had one special champion — Llantwyt, a converted
Methodist ; and Llancarvan, one called Shanko. The final
scene is a mighty race between these two for the ball, the
verdict resting with the Methodist, who, " stretching out his
foot, by a trip of the heel sends his rival ploughing the
sands before him with a headlong fall as the spray is dashed
before the vessel." And victory is with the men of Llan-
twyt, the plaudits of their partisans " pealing from one tall
cliff to another."

The bibliography of hockey is limited, and furnishes
little information about the exact antiquity of the game in
England. In one of the few histories on hockey, written
by H. F. Battersby, the author says, " Its trail may be
found here and there across the story of social England
from quite early days." And in his famous essay on John
Bunyan, one of the masterpieces of English prose. Lord
Macaulay says, " Bell-ringing and playing at hockey on
Sundays seem to have been the worst vices of this depraved
tinker." The love of hockey was one of Bunyan's darling
sins which he "could not let go." Possibly the extreme
sinfulness of hockey in his eyes lay, not in the game itself,
but in its indulgence on a Sunday. Or perhaps it was
Bunyan's idolatrous love of hockey that he regarded as
a sin and a snare, and not any intrinsic sinfulness in the
game. Whatever may have been his real attitude towards
the game, it is certain that hockey was played on the
village green in the seventeenth century, and with
enthusiasm.

Of visual evidence of the antiquity of hockey none
is so unique or interesting as an ancient relic in the
Copenhagen National Museum. This is an altar pot,
made about the year 1330, on which are depicted two
hockey players armed with genuine hockey sticks and
engaged in an orthodox " bully," quite after the modem

FOURTEENTH CENTURY ALTAR-POT IN COPENHAGEN

NATIONAL MUSEUM, SHOWING HOCKEY PLAYERS

ENGAGED IN A "BULLY"

i

ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF HOCKEY 5

fashion. So authentic is this evidence thought to be in
Denmark, that an engraving of this altar pot appears in
the year-book of the Danish Hockey Association.

It is impossible to trace at all closely the history and
progress of the game down to about the middle of the nine-
teenth century. Then it begins to assume a more definite
form. The implements of the game were primitive enough
— a large cork bung, a piece of rubber fashioned to the
appearance of an oblong ball, or an indiarubber bottle
cut close to the neck, formed the " object of contention " ;
while the sticks used were of oak, crab, holly, or ash, and
cut from tree or hedge.

At one time, it is amusing to note, the game was called
" shinney " in the North of England, from the custom
which prevailed of striking the shins of a player who had
the ball between his feet. The objective of the players
was just what it is to-day, namely, to hit the ball into a
goal at either end of the ground. But the means to that
end were very different. The game gradually gained in
favour, and in the sixties was played in many parts of
England.

In his reminiscences, which cast a lurid light on the
hockey of those days, and which he wrote specially for this
chapter, the Rev. A. E. Bevan, one of the hoary veterans of
English hockey, says : " Hockey was played twenty a side
with an indiarubber ball about the size of a cricket ball,
but cut in angles all round, so that it should not bounce
equally. Our weapons were light oak sticks, often weighted
with lead to give greater driving power, as a goal might be
scored anywhere in the field, a half-circle not being in
existence. There was no limit, to the best of my recollec-
tion, to the field of play, except so far as the goal-line was
concerned. Should any player come in on the wrong side
{i,e, the left side) as you were dribbling down, you were at
liberty to hit him across the shins ; and if one of your own
side was following up closely, instead of shouldering off the
ball, he could apply kindly but hurtful attentions in the

6 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

same way." This was on Wimbledon Common, and many
a hard-fought battle did Mr. Bevan and his contemporaries
fight on a stretch of turf no great way from the scene of
the shinty festival described earlier in this chapter.

A decade before these " hard-fought battles " of Wimble-
don Common the Blackheath Hockey Club was formed, and
played under rules of its own, which, being altered from
time to time, were in their final state very similar in several
instances to the modern rules of the game. It is an
honourable fact for the Blackheath Club, that it was not
only the parent of the Union game — that is, the game as
authorised by the National Hockey Union, a predecessor
of the present Hockey Association — but also of the
renowned Blackheath Football Club.

The size of a team and the disposition of the players
were very different then from what they are in modern hockey.
For matches each side consisted of fifteen players — a goal-
keeper, two backs, two three-quarter backs, three half-backs,
and seven forwards. The half-backs were sometimes called
flag-men, and the centre man was chosen usually for his
hitting powers and accurate eye, and was often one of the
chief goal-scorers of the team. The game suffered extra-
ordinary fluctuations in its rules. At one time kicking
would be allowed, then it would not. One year the use of
the hands in stopping the ball would be permissible, the
next year it would not. Even dribbling was at one time
illegal. Left-hand hitting is one of the few things which
has always been illegal. " Shinning " was the penalty a
player paid for breaking the rules, and yet shin-guards were
unknown, so that our forebears were evidently a hardy race.

In addition to the Blackheath Club, there was a flourish-
ing club at Bristol, and the Metropolitan and the West of
England Club played an annual match for nearly twenty
years, the initial match taking place in 1875. Six wins
each and four drawn games were the record.

During the seventies, clubs began to form round London,
and there is extant the record of a match between Surbiton

ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF HOCKEY 7

and Richmond, played in 1875. This record tells of many
disputes throughout the game, and urges the formation of
a Hockey Union for the making of definite rules and the
furtherance of the game. Accordingly an Association was
established, and the rules revised.

Under these rples, the size of the ground was left almost
entirely to the fancy of the players, and was anything from
100 to 150 yards long and 50 to 80 yards wide. The
goals, too, were on the same generous scale as the ground,
being 6 yards wide and 7 feet high. No goal could be
scored if the ball was hit from a distance of more than
1 5 yards from the nearest goal-post. The half-circle was
not yet, but it is evident from the 1 5 yards' restriction that
its necessity was bound to force itself upon the game. It
is not easy to guess 15 yards, and it could not be long
before players would realise the need of a definite mark.

The next landmark in the progress of the game was
the birth of the famous Wimbledon Club. This occurred
in 1883. Wimbledon owed very much to past members
of the defunct Surbiton and East Surrey Clubs, who had
been responsible for the introduction of the cricket ball and
the rule preventing a goal being scored at a greater distance
than 1 5 yards from the goal. The following comment on
this subject occurs in Hockey of the *' Isthmian Library "
series : " The great significance of these two principles was
fully appreciated by the men of Wimbledon, who fashioned
their game accordingly, giving up the string ball (one of
the many variants used), and surrendering at the same time
the light ash sticks of an earlier generation." The main
difficulty with which Wimbledon was faced, and the one
that retarded their more rapid advance in the game, was
the absence of clubs against whom they might test their
skill. Their first match was against a Stock Exchange
team captained by E. Brookes, a past member of the extinct
Surbiton Club, and the result a draw. The ground was a
selected pitch on Wimbledon Common, in the neighbour-
hood of the golf club. In view of the dearth of opponents,

8 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

members engaged chiefly in club practices. The Wimble-
don Club grew apace, and became a mighty power in the
game, and the strength of the team which they could put into
the field in 1896 was such that six of its members were
deemed good enough that year for places in the English team.

In 1884 the Molesey Club was formed. The object of
this club's formation seems to have been simply the playing
of friendly club games — members against members. It is
doubtful, indeed, whether the founders of the club knew of
the existence of other hockey clubs. It was a strange game,
that game played by the Molesey Club's members in 1884.
They used ordinary ash sticks, and a worsted ball covered
with netted string. There was no disposition of the players,
who simply followed the ball. But once the existence of other
clubs was known and Molesey quickly changed their ways.
Some idea of the rapid progress of the game during the
next ten years may be gauged from one simple comparison.
In the season of 1885-86 Molesey played five matches.
Ten years later their season's programme h«id swelled to
twenty-three encounters.

Clubs began to multiply, Ealing, Westgate, and South-
gate being among new clubs of the next year or two, while
Teddington and Surbiton were revived.

And the game was spreading, spreading beyond the
limits of the London area, to the Midlands and the North.
It was already established in the West. In 1885 the
Solihull Club was started in the Midlands, the next year
Edgbaston. A year later the North followed suit with a
club at Timperley in Cheshire. This was the beginning of
the great wave of hockey enthusiasm which, mounting higher
and higher, eventually swept every corner of England, Ire-
land, Scotland, and Wales almost.

But the real birthday of modern hockey was January 1 8,
1886, the date of the formation of the Hockey Association,
a full and particular account of which is the subject of the
succeeding chapter, and of the ordination of the striking
circle. Commenting on the introduction of the striking

ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF HOCKEY 9

circle, H. F. Battersby says " it was that line of white about
the goals which converted hockey from a dangerous scrim-
mage into an affair of skill, and its first authorised appear-
ance must constitute the game's Hegira."

The red-letter years in the hockey calendar since 1886,
which mark advances in the game, are: 1887, the year of
the first inter-county match ; 1890, the year of the first inter-
divisional match, in which the North played the South ; and
1895, the year which inaugurated International encounters.

It will form a pleasant diversion to turn aside for a
moment and view the progress and growing popularity of
the game in Ireland, and to view it through the medium of
a player who has been associated with the palmiest days
of Irish hockey and is himself its leading exponent. So
let us listen to the story of Irish hockey unfolded by W. M.
Johnstone : " The modern game of hockey was introduced
into Ireland, I believe, in the winter of 1892. Hockey had
been played at the High School and the King's Hospital
School in Dublin, and at some of the other schools through-
out the country, for many years before. An old graduate
of Dublin University has told me that he has played many
a game of hockey nearly fifty years ago in the College
Park. There is no doubt that we Irish inherit a natural
ability to play the game. Hockey was played with bent
sticks, the majority of which were cut by the players them-
selves in the hedges and woods. The rules allowed con-
siderable licence, as, for example, when a player pushed the
ball to the right of an opponent so that the opponent was
on his left or in his way, he was at liberty to whack him
across the shins if he did not at once make himself scarce.

"In the winter of 1 892-93 some old hurley players and
others banded themselves into a hockey team under the
name of Palmerston, and played matches against the High
School, the King's Hospital School, and the Dublin Banks.
In the following year great progress was made. The two
schools mentioned definitely adopted the game ; a club was
formed in the University ; the team which had played under

lO THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

the name of Palmerston procured a ground and founded a
club, destined to fame in the annals of Irish hockey ; and
the Three Rock Rovers, Corinthians, Dundrum, Donnybrook,
and Monkstown clubs were formed. The game quickly
spread from Leinster to the other provinces, and became
in a few years one of the most popular winter pastimes in
Ireland. The Irish Hockey Union was founded with the
Rev. Canon Gibson, then headmaster of King's Hospital
School, as its first president, a post he held for many years.
Since his resignation the Presidential Chair has been occu-
pied by Mr. W. T. Graham (Ulster), and Irish hockey owes
much of its success to these two gentlemen, who have given
so much time and energy to help on the 'game that
grows.* At the close of the year 1908 the clubs affiliated
to the Irish Union numbered over 100, and the numbers
increase steadily each year.

" Since the Union was formed there have been many
changes in the game. When I started playing at Dublin
University in 1896, hockey was a far from popular game
with undergraduates. It was despised by football, cricket,
and rowing men, and in those days men were eager to
conceal rather than to display their hockey sticks. An
article appeared in the T.CD,^ the University weekly maga-
zine, which contained the following sarcastic allusion to
hockey : * Cricket we know^and football we know, but what
is hocquet ? ' Despite this, and many another, attempt to
ridicule it, hockey continued to gain in popularity. It is an
interesting and significant fact, and one worth noting, that
the author of the sarcastic sentence just quoted subsequently
became an enthusiastic disciple of the despised * hocquet.'
It was the same all over Ireland — the game steadily and
surely increased in popularity and in the number of its
recruits. The Press noticed the game more and more, and
matches came to be reported with all the graphic and
enthusiastic phraseology devoted to football.

" And great changes came in the style of play. Com-
bined play gradually usurped the entirely individual play of

ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF HOCKEY ii

the early days. When I first commenced hockey, the
forward line consisted of two right-wing forwards and two
left-wing forwards who hunted in couples, while the centre
forward was merely the hinge keeping the line connected.
At that time the opposing wing half-backs took up their
position between 'the opposing wing forwards, endeavouring
by this means to break up wing combination. That old
order of things is long since changed, and the wing half
now stays with the outside man, and the chief combination
lies between the three inside forwards, the wing men getting
few chances to distinguish themselves as in former years.

" Great changes too were wrought upon hockey by
legislation, and for the most part these were to the benefit
of the game."

Then the grounds improved, by slow degrees perhaps,
and good grounds are one of the very best mediums to the
progress and popularity of the game.

The extraordinary progress and popularity of hockey is
written clearly for all to read in the number of clubs
affiliated to the various Unions and Associations of the
British Isles. Approximately the number of affiliated clubs
is 900. Of these 700 are English and affiliated to the
Hockey Association through their respective counties, which
number 33. The Irish contribution to this total is 100,
the Welsh 56, and the Scottish about 40. Beyond these
there are several hundreds of unaffiliated clubs, small and
unimportant for the most part but still clubs, and sub-
scribers to the game's popularity.

So popular is the game round London, that many of the
leading clubs have no fewer than four teams in the field
every Saturday afternoon. Any time between one and two
o'clock of a Saturday afternoon the great London termini
will present a spectacle of hockey activity almost unbeliev-
able to those who are far from London and its business,
social, and athletic stir.

And what a change has been wrought in the attitude
of the public towards the game ! They come in their

12 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

thousands now to see an International match where formerly
they came in their fifties and hundreds. And inter-divisional
matches are little less popular. In view of the almost
miraculous skill of the leading exponents of the game, this
public enthusiasm for hockey is not a cause for surprise.
Owing to the smallness of the ball, the quickness of the
game, and the consequent difficulty of following it with an
appreciative eye, hockey is rated lower as a spectacle than
football or cricket. But there is no gainsaying that it has
considerable spectacular merit, which may quite conceivably
be enhanced in the years to come.

The progress of the game in Wales, its rise in Scotland,
and its ever-increasing adoption by the schools and colleges
of England, there is the will but not the space to detail.

On every hand the manifestation of the game's popu-
larity is overwhelming, and a convincing proof that hockey
is a game, no matter what its origin, of great intrinsic
worth. Otherwise, would the game appeal so strongly to
English, Irish, Scottish, and Welsh athletes, and to athletes
in almost every country in the world ? And, answering in
concert, these hockey-playing athletes of many climes shout
an emphatic " No 1 "

But there is another potent reason besides its intrinsic
worth for the phenomenal spread and popularity of hockey.
It is a game of amateur purity, without the smallest taint of
professionalism or the dread of its in-creeping. For this
amateurs love it, and many Association football players,
wearying of the pungent commercial flavour of "soccer,"
turn to hockey with great delight and hopeful hearts. Nor
are they disappointed. In hockey they find a game which
is played for its own sake, and not for any material rewards,
because cups and shields and trophies are unknown in
hockey — that is, in English hockey.

And this amateur attitude has been nobly and ardently
fostered by the Hockey Association, which has always set
its face like flint against anything tending, however slightly,
towards professionalism.

CHAPTER II
HISTORY OF THE HOCKEY ASSOCIATOIN

By Philip Collins

THE Hockey Association was founded at a meeting
held in London on January i8, 1886, at which
the following clubs were represented : Wimbledon,
Molesey, Teddington, Surbiton, Ealing, Trinity College,
Cambridge, Blackheath, and Eliot Park School, Blackheath.

The chair was taken by Mr. E. L. Agar of Wimbledon,
who immediately passed a resolution that " a Hockey
Association be formed."

The first president of the Hockey Association was
H.R.H. King Edward, then Prince Edward of Wales ;
while the vice-presidents were Messrs. Agar and Pope, with
F. G. Howell of the Molesey Hockey Club as hon. secretary
and treasurer.

It is not possible to go into details of all the many
council and general meetings that have since been held, but
this chapter will include a few interesting extracts from the
minute books ot the Association. The " ball " question
seems to have early caused considerable discussion, and at
the first council meeting a proposal to play with a white
solid indiarubber ball was discussed and negatived. Shortly
after this the following note appears at the foot of the
minutes of one meeting : " A hockey stick with a piece of
wood glued on to the bend, and a cricket ball left white in
the manufacture, were shown to the meeting." It is not
quite clear what is meant by " a piece of wood glued to the

14 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

bend," but possibly it was a forerunner of the " bulger "
type of stick which came into fashion over fifteen years
later.

In April 1887 there is the first note of a County match
being played ; this was Surrey v, Middlesex, and some
discussion took place as to what County qualification should
be adopted. This discussion led to a special resolution that
actual residence should be the sole qualification. In Decem-
ber 1889 a council meeting was called to consider an
application from the then recently formed Northern Counties
Hockey Association for the recognition of its right to
control the game in the North of England. After some-
what lengthy discussion, it was decided to agree to this
request, and to allow the new association five representatives
on the council, hitherto composed of eight representatives
elected at each general meeting. This number was now in-
creased to twelve, exclusive of the N.C.H.A. representatives.

By 1 890 the Hockey Association had got well started,
having twenty-six southern clubs affiliated to it, and in
addition the N.C.H.A.

At the fifth general meeting, Mr. Agar, who had presided
at the first meeting, resigned the post of vice-president, and
was succeeded by Mr. Yer burgh. It was in this year that
the first divisional match was played, the North meeting the
South in January 1890 at Queen's Club, London, when
the South won by 6 goals to nil.

The South team consisted of two backs, three half-
backs, and six forwards — two " extremes," two " centres,"
and a " right "and a " left."

The North adopted a slightly different arrangement of
their team, namely, a goal-keeper, a back, three half-backs,
and six forwards.

The reason advanced for the playing of six forwards
was that " with two good backs, the extra forward, being in
play the whole time, would be of more advantage to the
side than a goal-keeper, who possibly might have little to do
that could not be easily performed by one of the backs."

HISTORY OF THE HOCKEY ASSOCIATION 15

The year 1891 was an important one, in that it saw
the foundation of the Surrey and Middlesex County Hockey
Associations and the spread of the game to Wales, as is
shown by a dispute as to the control of the game in the
Principality, which was eventually compromised by the
Hockey Association taking the southern half and the
N.C.H.A. taking the other half. Very shortly after this
date the question of" cup ties " appears for the first time on
the minutes, and an application from the Northamptonshire
Hockey Association for affiliation was only granted on the
express understanding that they abolished all cups or prize
competitions-— evil ways to which they seem to have become
addicted, and to which, as will be seen later, they eventually
returned.

In 1894 there were sufficient clubs in the Midlands to
warrant the formation of a separate Divisional Association
to take control of them, subject to their recognising the
suzerain authority of the parent body. It was, too, at the
comniencement of this season that a challenge was received
from Ireland, which was promptly accepted, and the first
International hockey match accordingly took place at Rich-
mond in March 1895, resulting in a win for England by
5 goals to nil. It may be remarked that at the outset the
precedent was established of asking all affiliated clubs to
scratch their fixtures on the date of this match. It will
also be of interest to note that the first English International
team was constituted as follows : W. B. Barchard, goal ; F.
Terras, B. S. Smith, backs ; E. L. Clapham, W. W. Fletcher,
F. J. Seddon, half-backs ; H. W. Tindall, J. F. Arnold,
F. G. Buchanan, E. R. Hardman, S. Christopherson, for-
wards.

About this time the West started an Association of its
own, and the first of its series of matches with the Midlands
was played, though it was not until several years later that
the other divisions gave the West fixtures.

At the commencement of 1897 there was trouble in
Northamptonshire, which resulted in all their clubs retiring

I6 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

from the Hockey Association and starting a cup-tie com-
petition amongst themselves.

It says a great deal for the governing body, and the
spirit in which the game has always been played, that there
were no other seceders.

The clubs in question very soon found out that they
had done the wrong thing, the practical result of their action
being that after one, possibly exciting, season the game
gradually died out in Northamptonshire. It was not revived
until some time later, when a new County Association was
formed on proper lines and affiliated to the Hockey
Association.

This season also saw the foundation of a Welsh Hockey
Association, and an International match, England v. Wales,
which was played at Manchester in the spring of 1898, and
won by England by 7 goals to nil.

At the end of the season 1 898-99, Mr. Stanley Christo-
pherson, who had for some six years done yeoman service
as honorary secretary and treasurer of the Association, found
it necessary to retire, and was succeeded by Mr. Frampton,
who was destined to make a most worthy successor. It is
impossible to overestimate Mr. Stanley Christopherson's
services tq the game of hockey. In addition to most ably
filling the posts of honorary secretary and treasurer, he had
captained the English team and been chairman of the
English Selection Committee. It is only necessary to
glance through the pages and pages of minutes of meetings
carried through under his guidance, to see the immense
amount of time and work that he devoted to the interests
of the game.

Early in 1900 the first traces of an International Rules
Board are to be found in a long discussion as to " the advisa-
bility of having an International Committee to frame and
amend the rules of the game." This question was raised
by Mr. Frampton, but no definite steps were taken until
after that season, when a special general meeting decided
that such a board should be formed, and that the governing

HISTORY OF THE HOCKEY ASSOCIATION 17

bodies of Ireland and Wales be each asked to send two
representatives to meet three from the Hockey Association
and revise the rules of the game.

It is evident that by 1900 the game was making
considerable headway in every direction, and a letter was
received from the authorities of the Paris Exhibition, held
that year, asking that an English team might be sent over
to play a French one in the Exhibition grounds. For some
reason or other, however, the invitation was not accepted.

Up to this time the Hockey Association had, in
addition to being the governing body of the game, also
looked after the interests of the game in the South ; but in
1 90 1 it was felt that the time had come for a separate
Southern Counties Hockey Association to be formed, and
this was accordingly done. Half the accumulated funds
were handed over to the new body, and from that date the
Hockey Association ceased to have any direct interest in
divisional hockey, and confined itself to the administration
of the game from an International point of view only, each
division being entirely self-governing, with a right of appeal
in every case to the Council of the Hockey Association as
to the final tribunal.

The records of this same year also contain the first
reference to a player who has since come to be acknow-
ledged the finest centre-forward, if not player, the game has
ever produced, namely, Stanley Shoveller. He played for
Middlesex against Surrey, and so astonished the Surrey
defence that they made careful inquiries, which resulted in
the discovery that he had no qualification for Middlesex,
but was, as a matter of fact, qualified for the county against
which he had been playing! He was therefore invited to
play for them in the return match with Middlesex, but the
latter county (who required his services) objected, since they
maintained that a player could not represent two counties
in one season. Their objection came before a special meet-
ing of the H.A. Council, who upheld it, and effectually
decided the matter by passing the following resolution,

1 8 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

which had the result of " suspending " the future English
captain for the rest of the season, so far as county hockey
was concerned : " Mr. S. H. Shoveller, having played for
Middlesex during the current season, is debarred from
playing for any other county during the same season ; and
as he has no qualification to play for Middlesex, he, of
course, is not eligible to play for that county." Very hard
this on Shoveller !

The year 1902 saw Scotland taking up the game, and
the newly formed Scottish Hockey Association was invited
to send two representatives to the International Rules
Board meetings. It was about this time, too, that the
constitution of the council was altered so as to allow the
divisional associations to elect their own representatives
instead of the whole council being elected in a somewhat
haphazard way at each general meeting

It says much for the spirit in which the game has
always been played, that only in very isolated instances
have applications to " suspend " players been made to the
Hockey Association. One occurred in 1904, when the
minutes record that a stormy dispute in a certain club
match ended in a forward hitting the opposing goal-keeper
over the head with his stick, after which the game came to
an untimely end owing to " the unseemly behaviour of the
spectators." A lengthy inquiry took place, which resulted
in two suspensions and wholesale reprimands 1

In 1904, Mr. Frampton, who had with untiring zeal
fulfilled the duties of honorary secretary and treasurer
for five years, and had been instrumental in carrying
through a most careful revision of the whole rules of the
game, retired from office, and was succeeded by Mr.
Tennent. The latter continued the work of revision
rendered necessary by the great growth of the game and
initiated by his predecessors, and revised the rules governing
the Hockey Association fn such a way as to " decentralise "
as much as possible, and to make every club affiliate to its
county, each county to its division, and each division to

HISTORY OF THE HOCKEY ASSOOATION 19

the Hockey Association. He had just completed his task,
when, in 1907, he too found that he had not sufficient time
for the work, and retired, the writer of this chapter being
elected to succeed him. Since that date two more im-
portant changes in the constitution have become necessary
by the formation of an Eastern Counties Hockey Associa-
tion and an Army Hockey Association. It only remains
for some enthusiast to start a Navy Hockey Association,
and for the North and East to follow the example of the
other divisions and start their own Independent Umpires
Associations, and then everything will be complete, so far,
at any rate, as can now be foreseen.

There is one other branch of the work of the Hockey
Association which has not possibly received sufficient notice,
namely, that which it undertakes as the parent body of the
game in all the world. In the countries of France and
Germany, Belgium, Holland, Denmark, Austria, and in our
colonies of New South Wales, West Australia, New
Zealand, and South Africa, in our Empire of India, and in
the Dominion of Canada, it is recognised as the ruling
body of the game. Wherever the game is started, there
the players follow its rules, and apply to it for advice and
for decisions on all disputed points.

CHAPTER III
THE ELEMENTS OF HOCKEY

FEW games, perhaps, are so easy to learn as hockey.
The beginner embarking on his hockey career is
not faced by the prospect of a long and hard
novitiate, constant and assiduous striving, and possible ful-
filment in some far distant future. His experience will
not be that of the lawn tennis player, who must battle
through ten years of tournament play — so it is authori-
tatively asserted — before he can achieve first-class form.
No, the hockey tyro's is no such alarming outlook. At
the most it will be but four or five years before he is at his
best. In his very first season he will attain to a measure
of proficiency possible in the case of few other games.

The fact is that hockey is a natural game, one of the
games which come readily to any one wi^h ordinary physique,
a good eye, and average intelligence. It is as easily learnt
as football, and more easily played. The cricketer's transi-
tion from the summer game to hockey is without violence.
The one game is full of strokes which occur in the other.
And the Association football player passes to hockey almost
as readily, so akin are the general outlines of the two
games.

But simple as hockey is to learn and to play, the
beginner will serve a pleasanter novitiate and the more
quickly and surely overtake the skill of his desires, by start-
ing aright, by being grounded in the rudiments of the
game, and by early acquiring a knowledge of the strokes
used in hockey, and the best manner of making them.

THE ELEMENTS OP HOCKEY 21

Years of practice — daily practice — and a close study of
the game and its theory form the basis, the foundation,
of this chapter. So the reader may approach the perusal
of it in a spirit of confidence, assured that it contains no
heresies.

First-class hockey players are, curiously enough, not
much given to theorising or making a study of each indi-
vidual stroke of the game. Asked to illustrate in cold blood
a stroke which he frequently makes, and with effect, in the
heat of play, the first-class player will in many cases plead
his inability to illustrate it, saying that he makes the stroke
in play, but knows not how. Habit has become second
nature, and the strokes cost him as little thought or effort
as the laying of an egg costs a hen. But then perchance
these players are geniuses, and a genius is one of those
fortunates in whom gifts take the place of effort Anyhow,
it is folly for the beginner to imagine that he will come
by the strokes of the game without patient endeavour and
attention to detail. So at the very threshhold of his career
let him resolve to seek perseveringly and intelligently a
mastery of each individual stroke one by one, and to eschew
that lazy expectation which many players indulge, that the
strokes will come along in due course.

What is wanted at hockey is more diligent practice
of the strokes and movements required in the game.
There is probably no game in which so little preparation
is deemed necessary for match play. When Saturday
comes round, players go straight from their office on to
the field without having touched a hockey stick since the
previous Saturday. In many cases, of course, mid-week
practice is impossible, but large numbers of players have
leisure time on their hands and odd hours of freedom from
business which they could, with profit to their health and
their game, devote to a little definite practice. Another
player eager to improve his game and a couple of balls,
and the best practice in the world is possible. Nor is it
necessary to make the ofttimes long journey to the club

22 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

ground. Practice, and profitable practice, may be obtained
nearer home, on the lawn or in the paddock. Many a
player has earned familiarity with the elements of hockey,
a more dexterous and confident handling of his stick, and
a greater resourcefulness in some such circumscribed space.

The strokes at hockey are neither so numerous nor so
varied as in golf, lawn tennis, or cricket. But it is certainly
not the one-stroke game of untutored fancy. The strokes
include : the drive, mow, reverse, left-hand lunge, left-hand
cut or thrust (to coin a name) right-hand cut, job, scoop,
push, volley, behind the back, between the feet, right-hand
thrust, and other variants of these prompted by the
exigencies of the moment.

Possibly a sense of dismay will steal over the beginner
at this long array of strokes with their technical names,
and at the knowledge that he must perfect himself in many
of them if he would make good progress in the game.
Let him disabuse his mind of alarms. True, hockey
cannot be learned in a day, but it will soon yield to
patient practice, and the strokes which seem so fearsome
will be found to be so only in the imagination. Some players
appear to prosper well enough on a minimum of strokes,
but from this it should not be inferred that they would not
achieve greater prosperity if their repertory were a longer
one. Resourcefulness is largely dependent upon a full
armoury of strokes. On the other hand, it is quite possible
for a player with every stroke at his command to be so
impressed with the fact that he is ever hot to be experi-
menting therewith. He indulges in clever and fancy strokes
when he should be hitting the ball in plain and unromantic
fashion. This is the abuse of what is otherwise a source
of strength.

The advisability, if not the necessity, of acquiring a
mastery over the strokes enumerated above, is to be found
in this fact — that occasions arise, no matter how infrequently,
when each one of these strokes should be used, and when
no others will prove either so timely or so effective.

THE ELEMENTS OF HOCKEY 23

Surely it is a superfluity to say that only one side of
a hockey stick, the flat side, may be used. But as there is
an Alpha as well as an Omega to hockey, it would be letting
in incompleteness to omit mention of it. The next step, a
very elementary one, in building up a would-be player's
game, is the manner of holding a hockey stick. It is
held like a cricket bat, the right hand beneath the left,
although players will now and again be met with who
reverse the order and hold the left hand underneath the
right. Such players, it will be found, are generally left-
handed. Such a heterodox and cramped grip is, of course,
to be heartily condemned. And here it should be said
that left-handed players, forbidden by the rules to play in
the way natural to them, are greatly handicapped at hockey,
except in certain strokes which favour their peculiarity.

Now the beginner gripping the handle of his stick
firmly in the manner described, with his hands pressed
close together, may set himself to learn what is the para-
mount stroke of the game —

The "Drive"

Emphasis must be laid upon the importance of having
the hands packed close together on the handle of the stick.
The cause of most bad hitting is the habit, contracted at
the beginning of a player's career, of holding the hands wide
apart on the stick. The inevitable result is that the right
hand does practically all the work, and the stroke which
accrues is more of a push than a hit. There are occasions
when this manner of holding the stick is right. That will
be dealt with later. The nearer the hands are together
the greater the power, because the greater the leverage.
The overlapping grip of the golfer is out of place at hockey,
just as it would be at cricket.

After the hands, the feet ; these should be at right
angles to the ball's intended line of flight and about half a
yard apart subject, of course, to the height of the player.

24 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

The ball should be nearer the left than the right foot, so
that chopping may be avoided, a method which causes the
ball to kick in dangerous fashion. The body should be in
the same line with the feet, and the eye kept rigidly fixed
on the ball. It is impossible to overestimate the import-
ance of keeping the eye on the ball. After looking once
to the destination for which he intends the ball, the player
should concentrate his gaze on the ball and never raise his
eyes from it till it has been struck.

Seeing that the stick may not be raised above the
shoulder, that member will play only a subservient part in
the stroke. The genuine hockey drive is made chiefly
with forearms and wrists, the stick being allowed to follow
through to the full extent of the arms, and not checked the
moment the ball has been struck. And the follow-through,
how important it is, affecting as it does the whole character
of the stroke. How, say some, can the follow-through,
which occurs after the ball has gone away, have a beneficial
effect upon the stroke? For the simple reason that the
intention to follow through gives the stroke a freedom
which it could not possibly have were the intention to
check the stick after the striking of the ball. Then the
follow-through gives an accuracy, the accuracy which results
from a full-blooded, confident stroke. To obviate the risk
of ** sticks " — that is, the elevation of the stick above the
shoulder at the end of the forward swing — the hands and
wrists must be turned over sharply from right to left.
This motion turns the point of the stick, and presses it
downwards. Players err far oftener in the matter of
" sticks " in the back swing of the stick. There is a way
of absolutely nullifying this tendency, but it is seldom
employed, and perhaps scarcely to be commended The
right hand is held down somewhere near the splice of the
stick. This prevents the stick from getting out of control
in the back swing. As the stick descends, the right hand
slides up to join the left at the top of the handle. When
used it is generally as a natural stroke, not as an acquired

THE ELEMENTS OF HOCKEY 25

one. It is mentioned here as an item of interest and
curiosity, and not as a method to be cultivated.

In hockey, as in golf, correct timing and the speed at
which the stick is moving at the moment of impact with
the ball are responsible for the pace imparted to the latter.
Some players have the valuable knack of applying a certain
snap of the wrists just as the ball is struck, which brings
the happiest results. This again is a native faculty which
defies practice.

The alternative method of executing the " drive " is
that method which results in the stroke known as the
" mow." This is not a stroke loved of the author of this
book. It is inelegant and dangerous, time-wasting and
tending to inaccuracy. But it is an ingredient of hockey,
and as such must be described. It is sometimes claimed
that the stroke has greater severity than the "drive,"
because of the lengthened swing it allows the player.
But what it gains in swing it loses in wrist play, and
power comes from the wrists. Its best illustration is that
of a man using a scythe. The stick in its back swing
makes a half-circle round the back on the right side of the
body, while the follow-through completes the circle on the
left side. It is essentially a back's stroke. Its dangerous
tendency is to loft the ball. This method of driving is
difficult to acquire, so difficult indeed that the game is
hardly worth the candle, and should be left to those to
whom the " mow " is a natural stroke.

Let the beginner avoid that abomination known as
undercutting. Avoidance is secured only by acquiring a
correct style of hitting. Laying the blade of the stick
back and drawing it across and under the ball is about
as clear a verbal definition of what undercutting is as
could be given. The effect is the dangerous lofting of the
ball. This undercutting was at one time of very common
occurrence, an habitual practice of some players. To tee
the ball up for a free hit and loft it over the heads of the
defence into the circle where the forwards are waiting for it

26 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

is the most extreme use to which this, now illegal, practice
has probably ever been put. This was actually done in an
International match in the twentieth century. But since
undercutting was made illegal it has been the outcome of
a naturally bad style of hitting rather than of deliberate
intention. The backs for their hard hitting and the
forwards for their shooting both employ the "drive,"
although in the case of the latter the stroke is of necessity
often shorter and sharper, and wisely so too, because a
forward must not run the risk of a disallowed goal, dis-
allowed because of " sticks." So long as the rules forbid the
elevation of the stick above the shoulder, players should
endeavour to keep their sticks within this prescribed limit,
although it is common knowledge that umpires do not look
for literal obedience to the rule. Certainly hockey would
be a better and less dangerous game were the sticks of
players kept under stricter control.

Having learned the " drive," the beginner may go on to
a study of the other strokes.

The Reverse

The drive is made from right to left ; the reverse, as its
name declares, the other way, from left to right, across the
body. The bend of the stick is turned outwards and the toe
of the stick inwards, pointing towards the player. The
right hand is held below the left and close to it. In the
case of left-handed players the left hand is usually moved
below the right. The stroke is not a hit, but a flick of the
wrists, the point of the stick propelling the ball. To try
and hit hard with the stick reversed is to court inaccuracy
and win it nine times out of ten. There is a difference of
opinion as to the angle of the stick when the stroke is
made. Some are of opinion that the ball should be hit
when some way in advance of the player, while others
think that the player should be well over the ball and hit
it when close to his right foot (about a foot in front) and

m

f

I

#

THE RP:VERSE stroke (ERIC GREEN)

THE ELEMENTS OF HOCKEY 27

with almost perpendicular stick. A little reflection should
bring conviction that the latter opinion is the sounder.
Let the player hold the stick in the orthodox manner for
right-side play, and then walk round the stick and face it.
He will then be standing with the stick placed for the
reverse stroke. Now the nearer it is for its position for this
stroke to the position used for the orthodox stroke the better.
Surely that is obvious. And the more upright it is held the
nearer it is to that position. Then the balance of the stick
is all in favour of the more upright position, as is generally
the experience of those who have tried various angles. Let
|the player put this argument to the test, as the author has
frequently done, by hitting the ball when it is, say, 2 J feet
and then when it is i foot in front of him. The shorter
distance will enhance the power and accuracy of the
stroke, provided the flick of the wrists is applied at the
psychological moment. But as the reverse is chiefly
an emergency stroke, it will be made with the stick at
whatever happens to be the most convenient angle at the
moment.

It is astonishing what pace can be imparted to the
ball by means of this stroke, if well timed, and especially if
the ball is coming towards the striker at a few inches from
the ground. When travelling at top speed, too, the player,
if he take time for the shot, can get considerable pace on
the ball. To left half-backs and left-wing forwards the
reverse stroke is a sine qud non. It will, however, only
respond, in any degree of effectiveness, to constant practice.

Left-Hand Lunge

This is among the most useful strokes in a player's
armoury. In both defence and attack it is invaluable.
It is essential to the make-up of a back or half-back, and
an asset which no forward can spare. Indeed it is in-
dispensable in the case of every player on the field. The
only possible substitute for it is the right-hand thrust, and

2S THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

this stroke is not its equal, either in point of quickness or
reach. The stick is held in the left hand and at the end of
the handle, the player lunging out in the direction of the
ball much as he would if he were a left-hand player making
a back-hand stroke at tennis. A strong wrist is the only
possession essential to the successful execution of this
stroke. A half-back will use it for spoiling, and a back for
the same purpose, while a forward will find it the* sole
means of keeping control of a ball which has strayed to the
right. It adds very considerably to a player's reach, takes
an opponent so by surprise, and, so far as personal safety is
concerned, carries far less risk than the right-hand thrust,
which exposes the full front of the body. Those are some
of the advantages of the lunge. Only those who employ
it know how greatly it strengthens a player's game. It is a
very favourite stroke with the Irish and with all left-handed
and ambidextrous pla3rers.

A right-wing forward will often find it useful for
spoiling purposes when his opponents roll in from touch.
The stroke, to be effective, must be made deftly and with a
quick swing.

Right-Hand Cut

This stroke is of the same genus as the reverse. The
stick is firmly held in the right hand, several inches down
the handle, with the toe of the stick pointing towards the
ground. The stroke is made from left to right, although
there is very little swing about it. It is, as its name implies,
a cut rather than a hit, and of course a purely defensive
stroke. When he makes it, the player is sideways on to
the ball, probably running parallel with the opponent
against whom he employs it, and in such a position that
only great caution will enable him to exploit the stroke
without the certainty of a foul. The stroke is used chiefly,
and almost only, when a half or back finds himself on the
wrong side of an attacking forward — that is, on that player's
left side, the side from which it is so risky to operate.

THE ELEMENTS OF HOCKEY 29

Those against whom it is employed find it most irritating,
which is a good reason for commending it The player to
appreciate its utility and to have recourse to it most
frequently is the left half. If the stroke is to have any
power in it, the stick must be gripped firmly and rather low
on the handle. After the stroke has been successfully
employed, the player must hasten to get away from the
risk of a foul and into a position from which he can make
the more orthodox strokes.

Left-Hand Cut or Thrust

This stroke is used in the same circumstances as the
above, and for the same purpose — the checking of a
forward. The stick is held in the left hand with its toe
facing the ground, the player reaching out in the direction
of the ball. Many halves use it either as an alternative
to its brother of the right hand, or in preference to that
stroke. A great exponent of the left-hand method is
L. M. Robinson, captain of the Cambridge team in 1908.
A strong and supple wrist is necessary to the effective use
of this stroke, which is, at the best of times, a little weakly.
It requires much practice and quick transference of the
stick from the right to the left hand. It has not perhaps
the power — that is, the rigidity — of the right-hand cut, nor
its safety so far as the person of the player is concerned.
It is often used of forwards. When the ball is rather
wide of the player on his left, he has only this means of
restoring it to his control and so continuing his dribble.
Travelling at full speed, this feat of hooking the ball from
the left is as difficult as it is useful and economic. S. H.
Shoveller is very adroit with his left hand, while the ambi-
dextrous T. Pethick could dribble as comfortably with the
ball on his left as his right side. But such dribbling
is very apt to provoke a penalty for obstruction. And
here it may be explained that obstruction is placing the
body between an opponent and the ball, with the single

30 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

exception of the occasion when the player with the ball on
his right places himself so that his opponent is on his left.
This latter is not obstruction. In truth it is strategic
hockey, and counted to the player for righteousness. Out-
side lefts will find many occasions for the use of the left-
hand stroke portrayed above. It bears no recognised name,
but is none the less valuable on that account.

The "Job"

To thousands of hockey players the word " job " conveys
no hockey meaning at all. To them, as to other people,
the word stands for some allotted task. It has no other
significance. If told that it was a hockey stroke which
they themselves used, possibly once a match, they would
be surprised, but unashamed. Unashamed, because the
ignorance of hockey players as a whole is dark and
rampant, both as to the rules and the details of the
game, while no stigma seems to attach to the circum-
stance. It would be a fine thing for hockey if players
were compelled to pass an examination in the theory of
the game. The hockey examination is quite an institu-
tion among ladies, who are far better versed in the theory
and rules of the game than men.

To return to the " job " — it would be more apposite to
style it "jab" — it is employed by many players all
unconsciously — all unconsciously, that is, that the stroke
has a name or that its name is " job." The stroke scarcely
lends itself to a clear literary definition. It can be made
with either hand equally well. The arm is stretched to
its fullest extent, the back of the stick blade is laid on
the ground with the face uppermost and on an inclined
plane. By a succession of quick stabs the ball is made
to jump the stick of an opponent, or is propelled till the
player has worked himself into a favourable position for
disposing of it. The stroke is a child of necessity, being
requisitioned when a player, crossing from the left of an

THE ELEMENTS OF HOCKEY 31

opponent, reaches the ball first. Not in a position for
any rilore effective stroke, he essays to manoeuvre himself,
through the medium of this "jobbing" stroke, out of an
awkward position int<J[^^less embarrassing. For the
most part it is the ba^BI^|H|s the " job " and finds it
useful, albeit* forwards no\^R^hen make use of it to
check the drive of a back.

The Scoop and Push

These strokes are practically similar, with this differ-
ence, that in the case of the scoop the ball is lifted from
the ground, while the push keeps the ball along the
ground. To all intents and purposes they are identical,
and may be treated as one and the same stroke. The
right hand is held low on the stick, from six inches to a
foot beneath the left, the stick is slightly laid back, and
without any swing, any drawing back of the stick, the ball
is jerked, flickea, or scooped away. The work is done
almost entirely with the right hand and wrist. The stroke
can be either to the right, which is most frequent, or to
the left, while it is so under control that at the last
moment the player can deflect the ball according to the
urgency of the moment. It forms a very large part of
twentieth-century forward play. Without it the short
passing game is impossible, and a forward, especially an
inside forward, most miserably under-equipped. The ball
being pushed and not struck, and so the stick not taken
back, this stroke economises time, a vital consideration in
forward play, where quickness and promptness form the
keynote of efficiency. It is no inconsiderable part too of
the half-back's game. All the best halves in modern
hockey enjploy this stroke in feeding their forwards. It
gives them much wider scope in passing, and enables
them to dispatch a pass much sooner or much later,
according to circumstances, than was possible in the case
of the old-fashioned hit stroke. When attacking at close

32 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

quarters, halves and forwards will make a generous use of
this push-cum-scoop stroke, a stroke practically unknown in
the days when the Earnshaws and Stanley Christopherson
were the shining lights of hockey.

Right-Hand Thrust

This is a spoiling stroke, the ordinary two-handed
stroke, made, however, with one hand. The stick is held
firmly in the right hand and thrust out to the right to
stop the ball or check the dribble of an oncoming forward.
It is the alternative of the lunge, but nothing like so
elegant as that fencing-room stroke. It is a stroke for
backs and for players with iron wrists. E. V. Jones, an
International back from the Midlands, was much given to
this stroke, his stalwart right arm shooting out stiff and
sudden, to the discomfort of the advancing forward.
H. S. Freeman, too, England's captain on many occasions,
uses this means of lengthening his reach, and with telling
effect.

The Volley

The ability to play the ball when it is off the ground
and in the air, that is the volley, or rather the actual
playing of it is. Hockey has become such a quick game
that no longer do players, as they formerly did, allow the
ball to fall to the ground before attempting to hit it.
Time was when volleying the ball at hockey was unknown,
or known only as an occasional fluke. Now it is a recog-
nised part of the game, noticeably the University game.
Cleverness is associated with 'Varsity hockey, and to volley
accurately is undeniably clever, because extraordinarily
difficult. The formation of a hockey stick is such that
early attempts at volleying the ball result in the stick
missing it altogether. The ability to volley with any
certainty will respond only to constant practice. Occasion-
ally, very occasionally perhaps, clever forwards will take

I

4

THE ELEMENTS OF HOCKEY 33

the ball a considerable distance down the field on their
sticks, the ball being transferred from one stick to the other.
T. Pethick was marvellously clever at keeping the ball
going in the air. He has been known to run down, tapping
the ball on his stick, and loft it over the heads of the backs.
This sort of thing would be possible only in club hockey.
A first-class defence would speedily bring it to nought.

But is it not bad hockey for the ball ever to be in the
air ? Not necessarily. The scoop stroke, for example, will
lift the ball, and it is generally this stroke which initiates
a volleying run, and the scoop stroke is good, not bad,
hockey. On other occasions of the ball being off the
ground, the cause is either the roughness of the ground or
else a bad style of hitting. As a defensive stroke, or as
a pass from a half to a forward, the volley is often most
useful, indeed the only course a player can adopt with
benefit to his side, because of the promptitude with which
it enables him to act. If yielded to, the temptation to
volley a ball head-high involves the player in a penalty
for " sticks."

The stroke behind the back and that between the feet
are seldom used, but the fact of these being used at all is
sufficient reason for their inclusion and description in this
chapter. It will sometimes — alas ! often — happen that a
forward will overrun the ball. Instead of stopping and
getting at the back of the ball again, and so checking the
run of his fellow-forwards, he can play the ball behind his
back, provided no opponent is within striking distance of
the ball. With the stick held low down in his right hand,
he will hit the ball from right to left to the forward immedi-
ately on the latter side. The stroke must be executed
without delay, must be used only in such an emergency as
that stated, and must never, of course, be paraded for
" gallery " purposes.

As to the stroke between the feet, this is another of the
emergency species. It is used more often than the stroke
just set forth, but only in the event of the player being
3

34 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

pressed for time. A left half-back will often be driven to
the employment of this manner of hitting between the feet.
He will, in most cases, have his back to his opponents' goal.
This means that he can make the stroke with safety only
when none of his opponents is within striking distance of
the ball. Now that it is scarcely possible for the player
to play the ball when facing his own goal, so strict is the
umpire's interpretation of "obstruction," he will have few
opportunities of playing the stroke between the feet.

Writers on hockey — and they have been many and
voluminous — seldom discuss the subject of fielding among
the most imf)ortant of the elements of hockey. There are
three recognised ways of fielding the ball at hockey —
with hand, foot, and stick : of these the best is the stick.
Accurate fielding with the stick is all a matter of a good
ground and watchfulness on the part of the player. Let
the beginner learn an early reliance on his stick, especially
if he is qualifying for a forward position. Except that the
wings should occasionally use their hands, the forwards
should always field with their sticks. Backs and half-
backs may field with hand or foot when they have time,
but when pressed they must use the stick. In fielding
with the hand, the left hand should be used, the right hand
retaining its hold of the stick.

Just a minor point which may be noted before it
escapes the memory. When the player is running about
the field, and not immediately playing the ball, he should,
for greater freedom, carry the stick in one hand. To hold
it with both hands, as many players do, is to prevent the
free swinging of the arms which is natural and necessary
to the runner. It is different when the player is in close
touch with the game or is expecting a pass. Then both
hands on the stick is the right attitude.

When pursuing a forward the back or half-back will
get along much more quickly if the stick is held in either
the right or left hand.

No apology is needed for stretching the title of this

THE ELEMENTS OF HOCKEY 35

chapter to cover such an important item as the equipment
of the player.

The stick forms the most important part of a player's

equipment. And how privileged is the player of the

twentieth century in the matter of sticks ! What a work of

art is the modern hockey stick, and how conducive to good

and accurate play ! In the primitive days of the game the

hockey stick was a rude weapon cut from knotty holly or

oak, and roughly fashioned to a resemblance of the prevalent

idea of what was deemed good enough for playing the

game with. Later, sticks of seasoned holly or oak and of

stouter build were tried, and held sway foi many years.

The club probably had its sack of twenty or thirty sticks,

from which each player, as he came on to the field, took his

pick. But as the game developed players became more

and* more particular. They bought their own weapons.

The club stock diminished until a few spare sticks, in case

of breakage, were all that the club deemed it necessary to

provide. The evolution of the hockey stick proceeded

apace. Leather binding took the place of rough and

knotty handles, thereby detracting from the sting and jar

so often experienced when the stick met the ball. So far

the sticks had been of nature's formation. Necessity being

the mother of invention, the need of better sticks stimulated

th6 inventive powers of manufacturers, and the steam-bent

implement was introduced, and quickly ousted all use or

thought of the rural hedgerow weapon. The stick grew

better and better. Players designed their own to meet their

special fancy and had their names branded on the design.

Bulgers came in, and bulgers went out and came in again.

All manner of coverings for handles was tried — waxed

thread (as on cricket bats), cork, chamois leather, glazed

surgical whipping, corduroy, and rubber, the majority of

players favouring the last named — a rubber grip rolled on

to the handle. This grip has the grave disadvantage of

being absolutely unholdable when wet, unless the player is

wearing cotton gloves. Then numerous inventions have

36 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

been tried for giving resilience to the handle, and without
doubt the insertion of rubber or some kindred substance
between the strands of cane down the centre of the handle
does take from the jar created by impact with the ball,
while it enhances the driving power of the stick. Some
such device is present in all the best sticks of to-day.
Formerly the makers were solely responsible for the shape
of the stick. Now nearly every stick manufactured is
the outcome of ideas and suggestions supplied by leading
players.

So the choice of a stick should be as simple as it is
important. To choose, however, a stick which will exactly
suit his individual requirements is a matter which calls for
caution and deliberation on the part of the player. In his
choice he must be guided by his style of play, his position
in the field, and his physical qualities. He must be satisfied
that in balance, weight, and length the stick coincides with
his wants. Thus a player short of stature and of only
moderate strength will not choose a long and heavy stick.
The real safeguard against a mistake in this important
choice is the advice of an experienced player. Go direct
to the makers and choose your stick, is my advice to
young players, to all players. If this cannot be done,
then write to them, stating explicitly the requirements in
respect of weight, length, thickness of handle, and shape of
blade.

As to the length of his stick, the player may take the
height of his hip as a fairly safe guide, while as to its
weight it may be anything from 20 to 24 oz. And let
players remember that age adds weight to a stick, and that
a stick which was 22 oz. when new is likely to weigh a
couple of ounces more in its third or fourth season.

Backs require longer sticks than half-backs, and half-
backs than forwards. But there are exceptions to every
rule, and many forwards, for example, use long sticks.
The backs are the hard hitters of the team, and hold a
long handle; the half-backs are less vigorous, and keep

THE ELEMENTS OF HOCKEY 37

their hands lower on the handle ; while the forwards, who,
except in the circle, and often there, hold their hands much
nearer to the blade, hit the ball directly beneath them, and
find three inches of superfluous handle a constant menace
to their ribs. And just in the same gradation is the
weight of the stick, the backs generally using the heaviest
and the forwards the lightest. On this subject of the
weight of the stick, Eric Green — and if Eric Green does
not know, who does ? — says, " I would recommend, as a
rule, a stick weighing 21 or 22 oz. for a forward, 22 or 23
for a half-back, and 22 to 24 for a back or goal-keeper."
The same authority is unfriendly to the " bulger " pattern
of stick, on the ground that it militates against accuracy
and promotes undercutting.

The ideal stick is the golden mean between the
"bulger" and the flat-backed stick. It is upright of
build and short oi toe, whippy of handle, and with the
wood dispersed along the blade, not bunched all in one
place at the back of it.

Bunching the wood just behind the centre of the blade
certainly imparts great, driving power to a stick, but
encourages "topping." Then this sort of stick, with its
sharp ridge at the bottom of the blade, chips and breaks
up. The stick for accuracy and durability is the one
which is nearly as thick at the bottom, where it touches
the ground, as in the centre of the blade.

Then there is the grain to be considered. A wide
grain means durability ; the narrow is sweet to play with,
but less durable. My advice to the player is — choose
a stick with a wide grain^ pass an oily rag over it twice a
week, use it frequently, and in time it will play as sweetly
as the narrow, while long outlasting it.

When ordering a stick by letter, the player should
remember that the length is taken from the toe to the
top of the handle. As regards the thickness of the handle,
there are three trade sizes — " thick," " medium," " thin."
The maximum weight of a hockey stick is 2 8 oz.

38 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

Ash and hickory are the two woods of which the
modern stick is made, and the former is unquestionably
the better. The price of good reliable sticks ranges from
7s, 6d. to I2S. 6d.

Let the player avoid that abomination the rubber ring
on the stick. It upsets the balance of a stick, and seldom
saves the hands.

One word about the care of a stick. After use in the
wet it should be wiped over with a dry rag, and then
oiled back and front, the blade only, with raw linseed oil.
Should the stick show signs of chipping, a whipping of
adhesive plaster, such as used by surgeons, is the best of
all protectives.

The player who goes on to the field with unprotected
shins is nothing less than a fool. But there is no occasion
for the cumbersome pads some players affect. A small
shin-guard shorn of all its straps and buckles and slipped
inside the stocking cannot be bettered.

And gloves are nearly as necessary as pads, if not
two, then one on the right hand, and let it be a padded
glove, as worn at cricket. The player who braves the
dangers of the hockey field without gloves must not look
for sympathy when he gets his knuckles badly rattled.
Irish players usually affect ordinary white kid gloves.
These keep the hands warm and save them when
fielding.

Light boots, with some sort of protection on the inside,
should be worn. And let the player beware the wide welt
if he would escape a sprained ankle. Studs on the heel
and bars in the shape of the letter Z across the sole of the
foot give the firmest foothold.

The remainder of the player's outfit is a matter for
individual taste and comfort.

CHAPTER IV
THE GROUND— ITS CARE AND EQUIPMENT

A BAD ground and good hockey are an impossible
alliance. A first-class team may occasionally rise
superior to the roughness and uncertainty of a bad
ground, and by virtue of sheer cleverness appear to be little
hampered by the adverse conditions ; but their confidence
is bound to be disturbed and their play to be unequal.
Their exchanges with the ball are given and taken on faith.
If the luck is with the ball, they will get on comfortably;
but if against it, and it takes to perverse kicks and jumps,
then their efforts at combination will be brought to
nought.

A good ground is the sine qud non of scientific hockey.
It is as important as a good pitch for cricket, a good lawn
for croquet, and a good table for billiards. A moderately
level surface answers the requirements of football, but not
so in the case of hockey. The nearer the surface is brought
to the perfection associated with the bowling green, the better
will be the hockey played upon it.

Nothing influences play so much for good or ill as
the ground. The nature of the ground upon which players
are accustomed to play is clearly branded upon their
game.

Is that not strikingly exemplified in the case of the
Irish ?

Where the grounds are bad the play is almost
certain to be rough and ready, and quite certain to be
destitute of the finer and more scientific touches. For

40 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

illustration of this one need seek no farther than the West
of England. Good grounds in the West — good, that is, as
compared with such grounds as the Richmond Athletic
ground, the old Surbiton ground, Bromley, and many
another ground near London — are almost unknown. The
East Gloucester Club's ground at Cheltenham is one of the
best. There has been a marked improvement in the grounds
in recent years, with which the improvement in the play has
fittingly kept pace — with lapses. But much is left to be
desired, and, generally speaking, hockey grounds in the West
compare very ill with those in the other divisions.

This curse of bad grounds is what, more than anything
else, retards the progress and refinement of the game in,
especially, the country districts of the West. Here hockey
grounds are often rough meadows, worked into some
semblance of order at the beginning of the season from a
condition of chaos. Hitherto they have provided grazing
for horses, cattle, sheep. Impressed into the service of the
local hockey club, a ground such as these is subjugated by
the application of scythe and roller. The grass is coarse,
the turf is pitted with holes and puckered with lumps,
and the result is a crop of accidents each match and much
execrable hockey.

But that is perhaps a somewhat extreme case, although
common enough a few years ago. The times are more
enlightened, and hockey is universally recognised as a
scientific game, and as such dependent on level grounds.
For the encouragement of those clubs who do not enjoy
the privilege of a good ground, nor the wherewithal to
employ skilled labour to bring their ground to a higher
state of excellence, let it here be said that a little amateur
labour on the part of members will work wonders in the
amelioration of an uncouth and unsatisfactory piece of
turf. And the pleasure of playing on it will be enhanced
because the players themselves have ministered to its im-
provement.

I am a firm believer — and my faith is the product of a

THE GROUND— ITS CARE AND EQUIPMENT 41

lengthy experience of grounds of all sorts — in the mowing
machine and the roller, and their refining influence on the
coarsest of turf If members of clubs were truly keen, and
the only alternative was neglect, they should be glad to give
a couple of hours a week to pulling and pushing these two
implements of improvement. There was once an enthusiast
— and there need be no mystery as to his identity ; he was the
writer of this chapter — who, alone and unaided, cut the entire
surface of a hockey ground with a 12 -inch lawn mower.
And the grass was of the thickest and richest description.
The task occupied a couple of days, which, in view of
the subsequent enjoyable hockey, were well spent. Such
excessive ardour is seldom necessary, but it serves as a text
from which to exhort club members to some little interest
in the care and preparation of their ground.

When once the grass is close enough, nature and wintry
conditions will keep it at that. Constant use of the roller,
save after a deluge of rain, and a heavy roller, will now be
necessary. And let the rolling be all one way up and down
the field, and let the circle have an extra dose. After a
match all bad holes and heel indentions should be carefully
attended to, and that before the roller is put on. An excel-
lent method of healing these scars is to raise the hole with
a fork, make an incision in the turf at the side of and
underneath the hole, and then insert a little loose soil to
bring the hole up to the right level. Carefully trodden
down and rolled and the injury will become invisible. But
great care must be taken in cutting the turf.

Probably the finest ground on which hockey was ever
played was the old Surbiton cricket ground. Regarding
this almost flawless piece of turf, the Rev. A. E. Bevan, a
well-known Southern veteran and for many years Surbiton's
hardy goal-keeper, says: "It was my privilege, as well as
pleasure, to look after the well-known hockey pitch on the
old Surbiton cricket ground, — now, alas ! occupied by
Metropolitan Water Board's filters, — and the accuracy of
that ground was mainly due to the care taken after every

42 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

match to have all heel marks and 'slides* attended to
before the roller was put on."

In the case of amateur preparation and care of the
ground there is another point worth emphasising. After
heavy rain, and when the ground is soppy, it is a mistake to
use a heavy roller, often a mistake to use a roller at all. A
heavy roller brings the moisture to the surface, and the
ground, when many feet trample upon it, becomes a quag-
mire. So a light hand-roller should be used. This will
smooth out the more superficial roughnesses of the turf
without drawing the moisture to the top. If it is undesir-
able to use a roller at all, that may be taken as a pretty
sure sign that the ground is unfit for hockey.

If time forbids to roll the entire ground, let the available
attention be given to the circle and to that part of the
ground between the 2 5 -yards line and the circle.

The ideal hockey gpround is, of course, the cricket ground.
Nor does hockey, as many erroneously suppose, seriously
damage a cricket ground. Rugby football, with its desolat-
ing " scrums," does do irreparable harm to a cricket ground,
wearing out its winter coat and giving it the appearance of
a dog with the mange, but not so the lighter-footed game of
hockey. Happily the committees of cricket clubs realise
this more every year, and in hundreds of cases the hockey
club is an off-shoot of the cricket club, and the ground a
common one. Once the merits of hockey are recognised by
the officials of cricket clubs, and they are certain to give
the game their cheerful support and co-operation, and all the
more seeing how decided a kinship there is between the two
games.

Before passing on to the equipment of the ground, it
will be useful to note the probable cost of levelling an
ordinary meadow for the purposes of hockey. Something
like ;^20 would be the cost if local labour were employed,
but considerably more if an expert undertook the work.
Draining, if deemed necessary, would be an extra. This
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THE GROUND— ITS CARE AND EQUIPMENT 43

ground which required simple levelling, and none of that
banking up so often necessary. The dimensions of the
levelled portion of the meadow should not be less than
1 10 yards by 70. This will give a margin of 5 yards for
each boundary line. A ground laid down in the autumn of
one year — the right time for the work — will be fit for play
in a twelvemonth. The importation of turf is a very costly
business. Few hockey clubs, unless allied to a cricket club,
and thus partners in the expense, could afiord the luxury of
turf from Salisbury Plain or some other El Dorado.

The correct marking out of a ground is of the utmost
importance. The full dimensions of a hockey ground are
100 yards by 60, although some grounds are a few yards
under this maximum width. This narrowing of a ground
is hostile to good open play, and is hated, especially of
wing forwards, who like plenty of elbow-room.

The commonest mistake, and the easiest of commission,
in measuring out a hockey ground, just as it is in marking
out a tennis court, is to get the ground out of the square.
The way to avoid this is, after fixing on the exact spot for
the corner flag, to measure 3 yards along the goal-line and
4 yards along the touch-line from the corner flag, and put
a peg in at each of these points. If the measurement
between these two points is 5 yards, then the lines are at
right angles and the corner is on th6 square. This method
should be applied at each of the four corners of the ground.
This will assure a properly set-out ground, so far, that is,
as the outside lines are concerned. Now for the details.
Parallel to the touch-line, and 5 yards distant, must be
marked a dotted line, to satisfy the roll-in rule. This must
not be a continuous line, but only dotted. It would be
most confusing to the players were it continuous.

The centre line, dividing the ground into two parts of
50 yards each, should be drawn boldly across the ground
from touch-line to touch-line, with an asterisk at 30 yards
— a mark for the centre bully.

It seems almost superfluous to say that a string line, a

44 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

lawn tennis marker, and a pail of whitening (the latter
mixed to the consistency of cream), and of course a tape
measure, not to mention a bundle of pegs, are essential to
the process of marking out a hockey ground.

The 2 5 -yards line used to be drawn right across the
ground. That is an obsolete practice. Only the extremities
of the line are marked — 7 yards at each end. This obviates
the confusion created by a multiplicity of lines drawn across
the ground, but increases the guess-work of the umpire on
such an occasion as the ball, hit from somewhere near the
2 5 -yards line by one of the attack, striking an opponent and
passing over the goal-line. Hit from outside the 25 yards,
this is a bye (provided the opponent struck is also outside
the 2 5 yards) ; but from inside, a corner.

A corner hit may be taken from a point, on either the
goal or the touch line, 3 yards distant from the corner flag.
This point should be marked as a guide to the players and
the umpires, and not left to be guessed.

Assuming that the ground is of a maximum width, each
goal-post must be fixed in the ground 28 yards from the
corner flag — that is, 4 yards apart At a distance of 5 yards
from each post, and on the goal-line, a mark should be
made to indicate the minimum distance from the. goal-post
at which a penalty corner may be taken.

Finally comes the all-important task of marking the circle.

Exactly opposite to that 4 yards of the goal-line which
is within the goal-posts and 1 5 yards away must be drawn a
straight line 4 yards longj and parallel to the goal-line.
Two quarter-circles are now drawn which cut the goal-line
at points 1 5 yards from each of the goal-posts. The manner
of drawing these quarter-circles is simple enough. The radius
of each of these quarter-circles is a line stretched from the
goal-post to the extremity of the 4-yards line opposite to it.
If a brush dipped in whitening is attached to the end of
this line and the line held taut, a quarter-circle can be
drawn in less than a minute, the goal-post, of course, being
taken as its centre.

THE GROUND— ITS CARE AND EQUIPMENT 45

The comer flags must be placed at the exact corners of
the ground ; but half-way or 2 5 -yards flags, if used, should
be placed i yard back from the touch-line. It may be
remarked here that when taking a corner hit a player is
entitled to remove the corner flag.

When the nets have been attached to the goal-posts and
cross-bar — and let these be so closely adjusted that no chink
is left large enough for a ball to penetrate — the ground is
ready for play.

Six balls are the very minimum number for a match,
three for each half. Let secretaries see to it that never less
than this number of clean white balls, either freshly painted
or newly bought, is on the ground for a match. A white
ball, as well as a round and a sound one, is essential to
good and accurate hockey, and to the enjoyment of players.
The spare balls should either be husbanded by the lines-
man, if there is one, or by the umpire, or else left behind
one of the goals, accessible to the goal-keeper, who will
produce one at a moment's notice.

No ground should be without its sack of sawdust.
From constant trampling of his circumscribed area, the
goal-keeper, in wet weather, often has very muddy ground
under his feet, on which he will — not of his own volition —
skate and slide and slither, unless sawdust is lavishly
sprinkled in and around the goal. There is another
possible use for sawdust of which few players avail them-
selves. It is the only possible medium of effectually
absorbing moisture on a rubber handle. When the rain
is descending in torrents, it is almost impossible to hold
a stick whose handle is sheathed in rubber. A handful of
sawdust will, provided it is renewed from time to time,
make the impossible possible. Players who perspire freely
at the hand will find a pinch of sawdust, which may be
carried in the pocket, a counteracting influence and a
splendid aid to a firm grip.

CHAPTER V
IN PLAY— THE FORWARD LINE

The Forward Line

IF it were possible to watch on two consecutive afternoons
a game of hockey as played in the early nineties
and as played in 1909, it would be in the play of the
forwards that the spectator would notice the greatest differ-
ence. In the former he would observe that the dominant
style was long passing, and not a little of the hit-and-rush
method, and in the latter short passing, close dribbling, and
much finessing.

Evolution is a gradual process, scarcely discernible at
the time, but when after a lapse of years the present is
compared with the past, then is seen how great have been
the changes. And this is so with hockey in general and
forward play in particular. But the magnitude of the
change can be adequately appreciated only by a comparison
such as that suggested above. The forward play of Stanley
Christopherson's day has few points of resemblance with that
played by S. H. Shoveller and his contemporaries. The
styles are nearly fifteen years apart, and so different that it
is hard to believe that the change has come gradually, and
not as the result of some sudden and violent revolution.

In the early nineties, short passing of the type one may
now see illustrated any Saturday afternoon in a hundred
club matches all over the country was little known and
little practised. Wings banged the ball to the centre, and
the centre banged the ball back to the wings. As for pass-

IN PLAY— .THE FORWARD LINE 47

ing by means of the scoop and shove (or push) stroke there
was none of it A pass was a hit every time. Then
forwards went for their objective by means of hard, straight-
ahead hockey. Deviations were not indulged in. In
modern hockey forwards compass their end through the
medium of a hundred clever wiles and sudden little by-
paths. Their methods are persuasive rather than aggressive.
About their play is much of the suaviter in modOy while
it does not want for the fortiter in re. And modem forward
play is the more picturesque of the two, much the more.

Hockey is not, generally speaking, rated very high as a
spectacular game. But few things are better worth seeing
than a first-class line of forwards in their best and most
scientific manner. And if Shoveller is of the five, and in
one of his inspired moods, he must be a dull dog indeed
who cannot enthuse over such festal fare.

The hit-and-rush tactics of Christopherson*s day, and
the plucky aggressiveness of the players, might stir the
blood of the spectator and rouse his fighting instincts, but
could never satisfy his artistic sense ; therefore the superior
spectacular charms of modern forward play which delights
the eye of the artist while quickening the pulse of the
warrior. Modern forward play is to the forward play
of earlier days much what modern scientific warfare is to
the barbarous methods of war employed by our forefathers.
This simile falls rather hard, perhaps, on the forward of
earlier days, whose play was really less deficient in science
than the foregoing discussion seems to suggest.

The forwards of the present control the ball so wonder-
fully. They keep it quite close to the stick and propel it
by a succession of quick pushes, diverting it to right or left
and on the instant by means of a wrist turn. Down the
field these five players sweep, passing and repassing the ball
by means of their wrist strokes, handing it on from one to the
other, and only giving way to hard hitting when the circle is
reached, or when a final centre from the wing is necessary.

And here is another point of difference between modem

48 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

and semi-ancient forward play. Earnshaw, the premier centre
forward of his day, could do what if Shoveller attempted
the latter would be instantly penalised for. Those half-
turns of the body, which in the case of Shoveller constitute
obstruction and win prompt punishment, were not in the
case of Earnshaw regarded as illegalities. The strictness
of modern hockey in the matter of obstruction serves to
enhance the merit of Shoveller's wonderful dribbling, while,
paradoxical though it may seem to say, the former laxness
with regard to obstruction in no way discounts the merit of
Earnshaw's skill as a dribbler. The liberty allowed the
latter was also allowed the halves and backs opposed to
him, while the same strictness that governs Shoveller's
movements governs also the movements of the players be
must defeat. This nearly balances things.

But why this strictness enhances the merit of Shoveller's
dribbling and elusive manner of attack — and Earnshaw and
Shoveller stand for types as well as individuals, although
the latter is in many respects a player apart — is the fact
that, despite the limited scope which this strictness implies,
Shoveller is yet so versatile. Necessity has compelled him
to create means of attack which, while obeying the laws,
shall iyet defeat them. In many respects instruction which
would have been eminently suited to forwards of fifteen
years ago is eminently unsuitable for forwards of to-day.
But one of the purposes of this book is to teach the up-to-
date game. So let the past be forgotten and let concentra-
tion be upon present needs.

Combination is the first collective asset of the forwards.
There is the abuse as well as the use of combination. Nowa-
days one often sees the abuse of it. Players fall down and
worship combination. It becomes a fetish. Obsessed with
the idea of combination, they sacrifice all to it — individual-
ism, common sense, personal effort. They become hope-
lessly stereotyped, without individuality or points of
dissimilarity. The line becomes a machine, each member
of it acting in accordance with convention rather than with

IN PLAY— THE FORWARD LINE 49

the need of the moment. Where convention seems to say
" pass " and the need of the moment ** go on yourself," the
former injunction is obeyed. This is the abuse of combina-
tion, although perhaps it is seldom carried to just this
extreme. True combination is a very different story. It
is the welding of individual and collective effort in such
a manner that individual skill, while ministering to the
effectiveness of the whole, is never subservient to the
collective idea. Each member of the forward line is a unit,
and must remain as such. Individuality must not be
stifled. That is the danger of combination. The gospel
of combination is so preached by some coaches and
captains, that players are frightened out of their indivi-
duality and degenerate into the slaves of a system. Even
in International matches combination is sometimes over-
done, and players will pass when they should have retained
the ball. How much oftener during a game does the
observant spectator think, " Why ever didn't he go on him-
self! " than " Why ever didn't he pass 1 "

Just as the apotheosis of combination killed individualism
in Rugby football, so will it kill individualism in hockey,
unless the danger is recognised and guarded against. The
Rugby football enthusiast of middle life, depressed by the
dull football of to-day, thinks with a glow of the grand old
days of Stokes, Wade, Don Wauchope, Bolton, Stoddart,
and many another giant, who, single-handed, could defy
all foes. These did not want some one at their elbow to
receive or help them with a pass. They tucked the ball
under their arm in that good old way and bent their efforts
on reaching the far-off goal-line. And unless hockey
players are careful, posterity will be sighing for the days
when Shoveller and Logan and Jordan delighted the
spectators by their brilliant individual displays. Perish the
thought that combination should receive here less than its
due measure of importance 1 It is absolutely essential to
the present conditions of the game. The danger is lest its
cult should sap individual brilliance.
4

so THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

But individual brilliance, remember, can never atone for
absence of combination. The two must go hand in hand.
Five players individually brilliant, and ready to demonstrate
their unaided skill when the opportunity offers, working in
unselfish unison, are a source of joy to their own side, of
terror to their opponents, and of delight to the spectators.
True combination is this, and it is also to know exactly
where one's comrades are, to be thoroughly intimate with
their devices, — all those quips and feints and tricks of the
stick which are the munitions of the resourceful forward, —
to divine just what they are going to do and to act accord-
ingly, to pass the ball knowing that there will be some one
there to receive it, to put one's self in the right position to
accept a pass, to know what course should be followed
under certain circumstances, and to be confident that the
responsible forward will follow that course, and not do
something utterly contrary to expectation. Such is a brief
digest of combination in the superlative degree. Mutual
confidence among the forwards is the keynote of true
combination.

Collectively forwards should model their play according
to the method of which a description is*now entered upon.

The width of the ground being 60 yards, each forward
— to allow him one-fifth of this — .will have 6 yards on
either side of him which he may call his own, and in which
he may operate without having an uneasy conscience,
although the wing forwards are seldom right in straining
their inside tether. This 1 2 -yards allotment is quoted as
a sort of theoretical guide. Hockey is not a game that
one can hedge about with mathematical exactitudes, it is
far too volatile for that, but the general tendency should be
for the forwards to play equi-distant from one another.
Neither the centre nor yet either of the wings should be
isolated from his confreres. Touch-line tactics make it
imperative that the two inside forwards should get out of
position. But this is only temporary desertion of their
centre, if indeed it is so much as this, seeing that an

IN PLAY— THE FORWARD LINE 51

intelligent centre forward will incline to that side of the
ground on which the roll-in occurs. And as to this roll-in,
what should be the tactics and what the position of the
forwards ? The manner of the roll-in- — the ball being rolled
either back or at right angles to the touch-line, but not
forward — which obtained up till the year 1905 was, with
the object of making the game faster and more open,
superseded by the present unrestricted roll-in. The half-
back usually takes the roll-in, and he is at liberty to
roll the ball anywhere. This freedom, besides giving a
real advantage to the side whose roll-in it is and opening
up the game, increases the likelihood of an unmarked
player. A multiplicity of devices may be employed to turn
the roll-in to the best account. One effective device is for
the forward to hit the ball back to the half-back who rolls
it in. Another way is for the half to roll the ball fast down
the field and just inside and parallel to the touch-line.
This is very useful in the case of a speedy wing forward.
But whatever the exact nature of the roll-in, whether it be
from half-back to half-back, to back, or to forward, the
wing and the inside forward will hover on the 5 -yards line.

If it were not for the fact of its being the same for both
sides, there could not be a doubt that the present roll-in
occasionally proves too beneficial to the rolling-in side. At
times it is hardly less useful than a free hit, and the latter is
a penalty for violation of the rules, whereas a roll-in is never
the outcome of anything worse than unresourceful or in-
accurate play. The present roll-in is an argument against
hitting into touch. There are not wanting, however, those
who would substitute a free hit for the roll-in.

In defence the manoeuvres of their opponents will decide
the positions of the forwards. No disquisition on forward
play would be adequate to the subject unless it emphasised
the fact that forwards have defensive duties, even wing
forwards. The forwards have their share in the responsi-
bilities of defence. A common fallacy is to regard them as
an attacking force pure and simple. Many forwards shape

52 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

their play on this fallacy. As spectators they watch their
back division in the throes of a desperate defence, and
tender them no assistance, but looks only, in their moment
of sorest need. Such conduct is reprehensible to a degree,
and indicative either of great stupidity or gross laziness.
It is constantly the part of the three inside forwards to go
back and help their hard-pressed backs by harrying the
attack. For the time being they assume the r61e of so
many half-backs, ward off defeat, and indirectly improve
their own game by acquainting them better with defensive
methods. And when a forward is robbed of the ball by an
opposing half or back, he must not resign himself to this
spoliation. Highway robbery should nettle a man into an
aggressive determination to get back his own. So it should
be with the forward. He should pester the opponent who
robs him until he redeems the ball, or until it is hit to a part
of the field outside his province. This is in the nature of
defence, and is among the things so neglected by forwards.
And the foolishness of many a forward is to abandon the
worrying of a half-back, when perseverance would have
given him the ball.

There can be much greater definiteness in dealing with
the play of forwards in attack.

The cardinal sin of teaching is dulness, and if lessons
are to fulfil their purpose they must be bright. So the
effort is here made to brighten the treatment of this part of
the subject, by quoting the possible tactics of a good forward
line between the half-way flag and their opponents' goal.
Let the line be of English make, the line that carried their
country to victory in the Olympic contest — P. M. Rees,
G. Logan, S. H. Shoveller, R. G. Pridmore, and Eric Green.
At the half-way bully Shoveller, by a strength and quick-
ness of wrist superior to his opponent's, gets the ball, and,
to defeat the centre half, passes the ball diagonally, by
means of the push stroke, to inside right — Logan, who,
after travelling a short distance in that galloping manner
peculiar to him, sees danger ahead in the person of the

IN PLAY— THE FORWARD LINE 53

left back. As outside right is being closely shadowed by
the left half, inside right refrains from passing out to him,
and casts about for some alternative. One of three courses
remains open to him, either to dribble round the back by
hitting the ball to the right of him and running round him
on the other side, or to bear to the right and so have the
back on his left, the side from which it is so difficult and
risky to tackle, or to pass to his Centre. Those who know
Logan's play would lay heavy odds on his choosing the
last-named course. This he does, and passes to Shoveller,
or rather a little ahead of him. Quick as thought Shoveller
is on to the ball, and taking it at top speed flashes past the
centre half, and slightly drawing the right back causes
inside left — Pridmore — to become partially unmarked. A
quick pass at right angles — at this angle so that the back
may not intercept it — goes from Shoveller to Pridmore, and
again from Pridmore to Eric Green, this latter pass being
hit well in front of outside left, so that he may take it at
top speed. Overtaking the ball and controlling it cleverly,
Eric Green takes it down to a point a few yards beyond
the edge of the circle, and, half turnings centres it back to
the edge of the circle. The inside forwards, who are now
playing closer together than when in mid-field, enter the
circle just as the ball comet like a rocket across it, and —
to give the story a happy ending — Pridmore, with a swing-
ing shot, defeats the goal-keeper. Or another happy ending
might be a little finessing on the part of the three inside
forwards, resulting in Shoveller getting to close quarters
with the goal and scoring with a diagonal shot pushed
rather than hit into the net.

Although the avenues to a goal are many and devious,
the foregoing, or something like it, is very familiar to the
hockey field.

In mid-field the forwards will be evenly spread out,
but as they approach the enemy's lines the two insides
will perceptibly close in. The intelligence of readers shall
not be insulted by a recital of the reason for this.

54 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

Albeit the positions of the five forwards cannot be
rigidly fixed, it can be said of the centre and two wings
that their positions should be nearly unalterable. The
centre must keep in the middle of the ground within his
12 yards, while the wings must lie out within a few
yards of the side line, and keep there throughout the game,
except when its exigencies demand a dash for the circle,
or the loan of a helping hand to the defence. A roaming
centre works havoc with combination, while wings who
drift inwards cramp play and thwart good, fast, open
hockey.

One fault forwards are very prone to commit is that
of overhaste in the circle, especially in the circle. The
moment they enter that zone of opportunity, they blindly,
and with hot-headed hurry, shoot somewhere in the direction
of their opponents' goal. Their chance of scoring is infinit-
esimally slender. They are either ignorant or heedless
of the fact that nine times out of ten the defence concentrate
upon the player with the ball and leave some one unmarked.
Instead of this flurried, impetuous shooting, they should
essay a quiet pass to the unmarked forward. True com-
bination in the circle is the crowning attainment of a good
forward line.

Then the impossible angles at which forwards will
attempt to score, and the tendency of wing forwards, when
they have taken the ball to within a yard or so of the goal-
line, to hit the ball parallel with the goal-line right across
the goal-mouth and at express speed. The substitute for
such utterly wasteful practices is a pass back to the edge
of the circle or to some forward who is well placed for
receiving a pass and turning it to good account.

Dalliance with the ball is as common a fault as its
opposite, and even more fatal. The circle is no place for
fancy play or deliberation ; here instant action must reign.
By hesitating and fiddling about with the ball the forwards
defeat their own ends and give the defence time to surge
back and round them in overwhelming numbers. The

IN PLAY— THE FORWARD LINE 55

large majority of goals, especially in first-class hockey, are
scored by quick and unchecked runs, and very few as the
result of long toying with the ball in the circle. So quick
is modern hockey and so good defensive play, that forwards
need to be opportunisj^^fe seize their chances and turn
them to swift account^^^^^game has no use for dilettantes
and potterers, J^/^^' -^

The objective of the forwards is to score goals. So the
savoir faire of goal-scoring is a subject that must claim
their earnest attention. Any remark on this subject by so
prolific a goal-getter as T. Pethick, the wonder that came
out of the West, is entitled to a respectful hearing. This
remarkable player says : " A good eye, quick action, and
judgment in knowing exactly when to strike and where to
send the ball," constitute the secret of scoring goals. Yes,
" where to send the ball." How few forwards really place
their shots ! The majority of forwards shoot as hard as
they know how, straight at the goal, untroubled by any
thought of placing the ball with a slower shot, if needs be,
to right or left of the goal-keeper and into the comers of
the net.

In watching Shoveller on one of his field days — and he
has a good many in the year — one is impressed by these
facts : that he seldom shoots from the edge of the circle,
that he sacrifices pace in shooting to placing, and that a
large percentage of his goals are pushed into the net from
almost under the goal-keeper's nose. Shoveller knows by
experience that shots from the edge of the circle seldom
score, and knowing this tries a better way. What so
embarrasses the goal-keeper is, not the long shooting,
but that quick, short game which brings the attack to close
quarters and keeps him in a frenzy of doubt as to the
time, direction, and agent of the shot.

Players like Shoveller, Pethick, and Jordan, who have
a genius, all their own, for scoring goals, sometimes appear
to be superior to and independent of the need for combina-
tion in the circle, but the general rule is that combination

56 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

in the circle is the sine qua non of effective forward play,
and its complement.

Now that the penalty corner is the punishment for all
infringements by the defenders in the circle, except those
that merit the harsher penalty of the penalty bully, it is
important that a right treatment of corners should be under-
stood and practised. The utterly slovenly and unthinking
manner in which corners are sometimes negotiated is a
disgrace. When the corner is an ordinary one, from the
right wing say, pace on the ball is the essence of the
contract. If the ball goes to inside right he will either
stop it with his stick and instantly shoot, or else he will
field it with his hand and quickly get out of the way for
the centre forward, who is at his elbow, to make the shot.
This latter method is simpler and more effective when it
is a left-wing corner. In this case the centre forward will
field the ball with his right hand, thereby enabling inside
left to take the shot with the least possible delay. The
method is mightily effective in the case of penalty corners.
An old way, which one seldom sees nowadays, was for the
centre forward to stop the ball with the sole of his left foot.
This had the merit of quickness. Another method, possible
only to a player with a cast-iron wrist, and suspiciously like
an illegality, was for a forward to field the ball with his left
hand in such a manner that he could get the ball on
the half-volley with a one-handed hit. This method was
formerly employed, and to some purpose, by forwards here
and there, chiefly in Ireland. It was quicker than the other
methods, but it has died out. Few wrists were strong
enough for the one-handed stroke, while more often than
not it was a case of " hand-ball."

As to the definite qualities of mind and body necessary
to the forwards, they must be fast and quick, quick to think
and quick to act, clever with their sticks, not afraid of hard
knocks, and eminently unselfish.

RIGHT TREATMENT OF A CORNER FROM THE LEFT, CENTRE FORWARD

FIELDING THE BALL FOR INSIDE LEFT TO SHOOT. THIS METHOD IS

SPECIALLY EFFECTIVE IN THE CASE OF A PENALTY CORNER

IN PLAY— THE FORWARD LINE 57

The Centre Forward

He must be endowed with certain very definite mental
gifts, a player of special parts and characteristics. Much
the same mental equipment which distinguishes great
military leaders informs the model centre forward. This
player fills a position of such strategic scope. Had he
been a hockey player, what a grand centre forward the
Duke of Wellington would have made — if it is not sacrilege
to compare great things with small. And Napoleon too,
although his genius would, perhaps, have controlled the
game better from centre half.

To fill successfully the post of centre forward a player
needs to have a brain, and a cunning, creative brain, and
much decision of character. The Corinthian football player,
G. O. Smith, is alway? quoted as the perfect type of a centre
forward at Association football. He was a player of
wonderful foresight and constructive ability. He seemed
to look into the future, to see several moves ahead, and
was a wonder-worker in the matter of manufacturing, out
of the most unpromising material, openings for his confreres.
Had he given his best years and his enthusiasm to hockey,
|ie would surely have been to the vanguard of England's
hockey team what he was to the vanguard of England's
football team. The genius of G. O. Smith's type is as
rare in hockey as it is in other games. Decided mental
qualities are far less common than physical. There is no
lack of centre forwards who can run fast and dribble
cleverly, but how few who can control, and guide, and
fashion the attack. The centre forward must have plastic
powers and great force of character. He and the centre
half must be, if no other players on the field are, strong
personalities. Let clubs remember this when picking their
teams. And incidentally let it be here remarked, that the
authorities who pick the players and appoint them to the
several positions in the field are seldom influenced in the
latter respect by the temperament and character of the

58 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

players. In deciding what position a player shall fill, the
captain, or responsible authority, should take into considera-
tion not only the player's physical, but also his mental,
attributes. Fancy putting a flabby-minded player at centre
half, or an irresponsible, hair-brained boy at centre forward,
no matter what their physical qualifications for these posi-
tions. And the captain will need to watch for subtle dis-
tinctions. Many players of a sensitive nature will be so
depressed and miserable at being moved from their regular
position to some other in the field, that they will be quite
unable to do themselves justice. Their indifferent play is
noticed by the captain, but not its cause. The sympathetic
captain who studies the temperaments of the players under
him will refrain from outraging their sensibilities.

But to return from digression. The centre forward, then,
must be a player of intellect and much force of character.
He must have the alert eye of a Sherlock Holmes, early
detecting the weak spots in his opponents' armour, and
must quickly seize, as well as quickly see, an opening. So
much of the game necessarily comes his way that he is in
danger of becoming selfish, especially in the matter of
shooting. He must eschew the vice of selfishness and
court the opposite virtue. The temptations to self-parade
will often assail the centre forward. He must withstand
them, sinking personal ends for the good of his side. He
must be an apostle of esprit de corps. And yet his in-
dividualism is to be allowed proper play. The striking of
the golden mean is the hall-mark of a great player.

Besides being quick and fast, the centre forward needs
to be a past master in the art of dribbling and a sure
shot.

Seeing that the forward line as it advances up the
ground is of a crescent shape, the centre will be slightly in
the rear of his confreres. Thus three advantages will
accrue to him : {a) he will see clearly what his forward line
is doing ; {U) he will never be off-side ; {c) he will be able
to take his passes at top speed, and flash past the opposing

2i

P H

o

^ 2

IN PLAY— THE FORWARD LINE 59

backs. The reverse of all this is true of the centre who
keeps in front of the other forwards. Quibblers will be
found to quarrel with this crescent-shaped forward line.
To disarm their arguments it is sufficient to say that to the
best of rules there are exceptions, that at times the forward
line will take on very different shapes, and that the centre
forward will often find it good policy to play in front of
his insides. The least that can be said for the crescent-
shaped line is that it is a good hold-by for the forwards in
mid-field and the foundation of an orderly attack.

Opening up the game is the centre forward's great
work. And what is this process which one hears so
frequently spoken of and so glibly rolled on the tongue ?
The disposition of the players at the commencement of a
hockey match gives the game a congested appearance.
The centre forward is one of the parties to the dissipation
of this appearance. This is the first step in the process
to compel attack and defence to spread out. When the
centre forward has effected so much, he will endeavour to
draw back on to himself some member of the defence, who
thus drawn leaves unmarked the forward he is responsible
for. And choosing just the right moment the centre
forward will pass to his unmarked comrade. That is a
glimpse of a process of many variants.

It is usually bad policy for the centre forward to miss
out the inside forward and pass direct to the wing. But
when such a course is necessary he should hit very hard
and in a diagonal direction, so that the wing player may
take the ball on his stick. Except on these occasions, he
should reserve what hard hitting may be necessary for him
for the circle.

Shut in as he is in the middle of the ground, and the
victim of a certain amount of jostling, the centre forward
needs to be supremely resourceful in eluding and slipping
past the defence. In this respect, and in most others too,
S. H. Shoveller is facile princeps among centre forwards.
Much may be learnt from a study of his devices, although

6o THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

in many of them he must remain inimitable. Deception,
or illusion, or whatever you like to call it, plays a big part
in Shoveller's elusive running, dodging, and dribbling. He
swerves and he feints, and darts this way and that, and all
with bewildering suddenness. Then he has such a wonder-
ful knack of getting his opponents on their wrong leg.
This is a knack which the disciples of England's famous
centre forward may essay to acquire with some hope of
success.

A back likes nothing so little as being to the right of an
approaching forward ; so placed he cannot properly tackle
him. The centre forward must give the opposing defence
as much as possible of this undesirable position. No one
is so clever at this as Shoveller, who revels in presenting
his left shoulder to his opponents. Slack umpiring, of
course, knocks on the head the efficacy of this practice.

These devices, and any others which the centre forward
may essay, are vain unless the ball is kept near the stick
and under control. This is the basis of good dribbling.
If the ball gets too far in front of him on the right, the
centre forward can reach it best by means of the left-hand
lunge stroke, — old Rossallians are very quick and clever
with this stroke, — if on the left, he will reach for it and hook
it across to his right side with the stick transversed and
held in the left hand.

In the case of the centre forward the chief medium of
a pass is the push and scoop strokes. The ability to make
these strokes quickly and naturally must be acquired. The
manner of making them is described in the chapter dealing
with the elements of the game.

When nearing the circle, the centre forward needs to
summon all the dash of which he is capable. And if he
shoots at goal let him follow up his shot with energy in the
hope of catching the rebound from the goal-keeper, or so
flustering that player that he fails to clear. If another
forward has shot at goal, the centre will follow up the shot,
although he will occasionally be wise to hang back on the

IN PLAY— THE FORWARD LINE 6i

chance of trapping the return hits of the defence and so
maintaining the attack.

Many centre forwards, good in mid-field, are wretched
finishers. They reach the circle by much cleverness, but
once within its precincts they become inept and seem
mcapable of getting the ball into the net. The dash which
brings them to the circle must be continued inside it.

Just one warning to the centre forward before leaving
him. Let him eschew one-handed play. Here and there
a centre forward may employ this ugly method with
success, but such cases must be very rare. A capable back
or half-back should experience little difficulty in depriving
the one-handed player of the ball. The use of one hand
only means loss of power and of control.

CHAPTER VI

IN PLAY— THE FORWARD LINE (continued)

Inside Right

ALTHOUGH the qualifications for, and the duties
incident to, the positions of inside right and inside
left are very similar, it is seldom that one and the
same player is equally at home in either. But possibly
this is because, in these days of specialising, players are
never given time to test their versatility or to accustom
themselves to a change of position. It is usually only by way
of a pis aller that a player is moved, say, from inside right
to inside left. It would be easier for an inside left to turn his
shirt and become an inside right than vice versa, because he
would be exchanging an acquired style of play for one that
is natural.

There can be no question that in all respects, save
feeding the wing, the inside right fills the easier position.
He can dribble, pass to his centre, and shoot naturally,
without any of that twisting of the body and straining of
the wrists which is required of inside left. Since it is
natural for a player to hit from right to left, inside right
may find that passing to his wing is the chief difficulty of
his position. And so he may be tempted to neglect this
player, the very thing above all others that he must not do.
There are two considerations with regard to this wing
player which inside right needs to ponder well, and act
accordingly. Outside right is probably one of the two
speediest forwards in the line, and, secondly, likely to be

IN PLAY— THE FORWARD LINE 63

more often unmarked than any of his confreres, because
of left halfs tendency to drift inwards. So how great the
responsibility of inside right, and how great his privilege
and opportunities ! In mid-field he must be concerned
much more about outside right than about the centre
forward. Here, in mid-field, the opposing left back is not
yet near enough to threaten inside right. So the latter,
avoiding the centre half by veering slightly to the right,
faces the task of getting the ball past the opposing left
half to outside right. And this is where acumen steps in,
or in many cases makes no appearance at all. If it is
impossible to get a good pass to the wing, inside right
must dribble on himself till the possibility presents itself;
and by a good pass is meant a pass which will result in
ground being gained and in the attack being prolonged.
It is not a good pass which reaches the wing simultaneously
with the half-back, nor is it a good pass — seldom, at least
— which is hit back instead of forward.

It is the essence of stupidity and bad play for inside
right to persist, as so many do, in passing out to his wing,
despite the fact that the left half just as persistently
intercepts the pass. But this stupidity is among the
commonest of the many faults of intellect encountered on
the hockey field. And yet there is a good motive at the
back of it. It is evidence that inside right wishes to do
his duty by the wing forward, and it is evidence also of
unselfishness ; and unselfishness is a large part of the
the make-up of an inside right.

As the game nears the circle, and as inside right closes
in towards his centre, he will give more of his attention to
this player. If the ball is in possession of the right-
wing player, inside right must watch keenly for the express
centre which is sure to come, field it with his stick and
dribble on, or, if in the circle, essay a swinging shot, or
leave it to the centre forward, whichever seems best, whether
of these courses or of the many others which lie open
to him.

64 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

Combination between him and the centre forward must
be of the intimate order. The finest combination of inside
right and centre probably ever seen is the Logan-Shoveller
combination. Paired together in Club, County, Divisional,
and International hockey, Logan and Shoveller have such an
intimacy with one another's methods, and such a perfect
mutual understanding, that telepathy is almost suggested.
Their play is an object lesson in combination. And yet
perhaps it is scarcely the model for young players to copy.
Their combination is at times a little exclusive. The right
wing occasionally gets neglected. Probably this is in the
interests of the particular game in which these two players
are taking part, — geniuses they should be styled, — but as
a general thing exclusiveness of this sort is not in the
interests of a game. Other considerations apart, the most
effective combination in hockey is certainly that of Logan
and Shoveller. And inside rights may learn from Logan's
play what backing up is, what supporting a centre forward
is, what it is to manoeuvre for receiving, as well as giving,
a pass, and what it is to shoot.

When one of Logan's shots hits the goal-post, one
expects to see the post fall in two, so vigorous is his
shooting.

More opportunities for shooting at goal come the way
of inside right than any of the other forwards. He must
be a good and a severe shot, and he must shoot on sight.
He will do more actual shooting and less finessing than the
centre forward. Most of his shots will be from right to
left, and the harder these come the better. It would be
all easy sailing for him in the circle were it not for the fact
that the defence will so often tackle him on his left side
and, generally, hamper him. If the tackle is not technically
illegal, it frequently results in what, albeit not obstruction in
the eyes of the umpire, is obstruction so far as inside right
is concerned. Anyhow he is put off his shot, and his
opportunity is spoiled. When inside right, about to shoot,
perceives a player on the point of tackling him from the

IN PLAY— THE FORWARD LINE 65

left, he may be sorely tempted to turn that player's tackle
into a foul by giving him his left shoulder and causing him
to touch it before touching the ball. No doubt he some-
times falls before this subtle temptation ; but even if it
is not strictly illegal his action cannot be suffered to pass
as " cricket," although, perchance, it will have the secret
sympathy of many a good player and true.

Much cleverness and stick-craft are less essential to inside
right than to the other inside forwards. So long as he is
unselfish, quick on to the ball, fast, courageous in charging
down the hits of the opposing left back, and a daring and
accurate shot, he should rise to distinction in his position.

Outside Right

The easiest position in the field, and one from which
players have often graduated for the other forward positions.
Many a player now occupying some other position began
his hockey career as a right-wing forward. Possessed of
a good eye, an athletic physique, and a certain knowledge
of the rules, and one who has never handled a hockey stick
before will make a respectable showing at outside right.
Before hockey had become the scientific game it now is,
pace was deemed the sole qualification for a right wing-
pace and the ability to centre hard. If a new player was
upon the market, the inquiry would be, " Can he run ? " and
if the reply was in the affirmative, he would be at once
installed as a right-wing forward. This was the lot of
many an undergraduate down from the 'Varsity for the
vacation in those days when hockey was beginning to
filch recruits from the football ranks. Pace seemed to be
the one criterion, the one test of fitness for a wing position,
especially the right wing. Club captains deemed any
additional qualification superfluous, and a token that fate
had destined the player for another position. And as for a
player with unusual pace being named in connection with
a vacancy in the back division, the suggestion was absurd.
5

66 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

It was quite a comedy, the system on which the players
were sorted and the team pieced together. The pace all
in the forward line, the small players at half-back, and
the heavy-weights at full-back. The system was crude
and full of pitfalls, but there was truth in it, and the mark
was often hit.

Time stands still in some things, and outside right
remains to-day what it was then, the easiest position in the
field, while those who fill the position are still the speediest
members of the team. But in other respects a great change
has been wrought, and the right wing must now be resource-
ful to a degree if he is to defeat the clever half-back play
opposed to him. Besides pace and the ability to hit hard,
he must be a cunning dribbler and an adept at that one
device above all others which a right wing must employ for
outwitting halves and backs. The device is to hit the
ball to the right of the opposing back or half-back, and
then to run round him on the other side and join the ball.
Over and over and over again will it occur during a match
that this is the only absolutely right procedure for the
right-wing forward to adopt. Neither captains, coaches,
nor text books on the game sufficiently emphasise the value
and absolute necessity of this mode of attack for an outside
right. Its effectiveness, when the device is properly under-
stood and cleverly practised, is so great and so patent, that
one marvels at the paucity of players whose game it in-
forms, and at the backwardness of captains and others in
insisting upon its use and utility.

All young players, not only right-wing forwards, but
the occupants of every position in the field, should be
thoroughly taught this device. Constant practice will bring
a cleverness and a development which make the device
doubly effective. The prince of right-wing forwards,
W. M. Johnstone, an Irish player, is an expert at this device.
He has reduced it to a fine art, and any one watching him
play will see what a great part of his game it is, and
imagining him deprived of the right to use it, would

< H

X

S5

IN PLAY— THE FORWARD LINE 6j

understand how the deprivation would deplete his game.
Johnstone will run down with the ball, and as he approaches
the left back will edge himself slightly to the left, while
allowing the ball to be well out on his right and just
within reach of the left-hand lunge. Thus he himself is
to the left of the back and the ball to the right of that
player. At the right moment Johnstone dabs at the ball
with his left, and as he is already half past the back, quickly
gathers the bal! again on the far side, and is away on his free
run to the enemy's lines. Ars est celare artem^ and nothing
of his intentions is apparent in Johnstone's manner.

In order to make this device possib.e and profitable,
outside right must leave enough room between himself and
the touch-line. If he does not, he will hit the ball into
touch. In his endeavour to defeat the back by this
device, he must avoid playing the ball too fine — that is, too
straight. His hit past his opponent must partake of the
diagonal. Otherwise it is certain to be intercepted. The
most irritating fault outside right can commit is, with only
the back to defeat and then a clear dash for the circle,
to leave the ball at that player's feet, either because he
hung on to the ball too long, or because his hit to the right
of the back was not wide enough. A right wing who is
much given to this device may overdo it. The defence will
anticipate his intention. Here is an opportunity for re-
sourcefulness on the part of outside right. He must vary
his tactics, and practically the only variant is a pass the
other way, to inside right. This change of tactics to satisfy
the need of the moment marks just the difference between
a good and an indifferent player.

Although for the sake of the above device outside
right must sometimes play several yards — say four or five
— from the touch-line, he will at other times benefit by
reducing this distance. By playing near the touch-line he
increases the difficulty which the defence will always ex-
perience in tackling him. One specific reason for keeping
near the touch-line would be a left half-back with a

68 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

tendency to drift to the centre. The opportunity for
racing down the line unimpeded is thus secured, and the
simple task of merely passing in just prior to the left back's
tackle is all that outside right must accomplish.

If he beats the defence, he will pass in when nearly
opposite the circle, sometimes a little later, just according
to circumstances — that is, just according to whether or not
there is a clear avenue for his pass. And this final centre,
if be is far out on the side line, must be hit very hard.
The secret of getting pace on the ball is timing rather than
brute force, and a correct follow-through. So many right
wings leave their final centre too late. They take the ball
almost on to the goal-line before dispatching it to their
inside forwards ; and when they do dispatch it, as likely as
not it is at the wrong angle, across the goal-mouth instead
of back to the edge of the circle. One fault breeds
another, and right wings who take the ball too far are just
the players to mishandle their centres. Now and again
outside right is compelled to take the ball nearly to the
corner flag — compelled because he is engaged in a duel
with the left back or left half, and cannot get in his pass.
But he has a possible alternative, one that many a right
wing seems to be wholly unconscious of He may pass
back to the right half, who should be there supporting him,
a few yards in his rear. Such a pass should be feasible,
because unexpected by his opponent, who is striving to
prevent a side and not a backward pass. If he cannot
yet get rid of the ball in a profitable manner, he must
prevent his opponent doing so, and he must keep the ball
in play. It is a criminal offence for outside right to hit
the ball over the goal-line, — a wanton sacrifice of an oppor-
tunity,— and yet how frequently it is done !

Outside right will increase his usefulness to his side by
varying his game as far as possible. An occasional bolt
for the circle will be effective, if for no other reason than
because of its unexpectedness. The defence will be taken
by surprise. And on anoth^ occasion outside right must

IN PLAY— THE FORWARD LINE 69

be in or near the circle if he would be in his proper place
— the occasion of a corner hit from the other wing. He
will take up his position on the edge of the circle, and he
must see to it that an intentness upon the passage of the
ball marks his conduct The ball will not infrequently
come to his edge of the circle. He must field it with his
stick, and shoot without hesitation. In a whole season he
may not score more than a couple of goals. This need
not disturb him. It is no reflection on his proficiency.
The fact is that even when outside right does reach the
circle his chance of scoring is remote. He generally has
to shoot from a difficult angle. In or near the circle the
quality of dash is essential to this player, as it is to all the
forwards.

A duty he must perform in the case of a comer hit
from the left wing is to field the ball if missed by the other
forwards. Having regard to the fact that the ball is hit
from the goal-line and will therefore be travelling outwards,
it will be necessary for him to stand a few yards outside
the circle and on a level, or slightly behind, the other for*
wards. If the ball has been hit correctly, he will field it
outside the circle. His part is to return it at once to the
players on the edge of or inside the circle.

In taking a corner from his own wing, he must hit very
hard, keeping his eye glued to the ball, paying great atten-
tion to the follow-through, and aiming at the centre forward.
The aim must be adjusted first, so that the eye need not
be lifted from the ball. And if by some evil chance he
misses the ball, fails to touch it, he may whack at it till he
does. Hockey is not golf. Mention is made of this
because players — ignorant players, of course — have been
known to refrain from a second attempt at hitting the ball,
under the belief that their attempt would have been punish-
able. If, however, the ball is so much as touched, a second
hit before another player has touched it is illegal.

In the case of a penalty comer, outside right will
moderate the vigour of his hit

70 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

Before the present roll-in rule, the duty of roUing-in
devolved upon outside right. Now the half-back performs
this function, and outside right must toe the 5 -yards line.
A good variety of combined tactics is possible, but the
simple roll down the line gives outside right the best chance
to use his pace. Wing forwards are apt to be very remiss
in matters of defence. Occasionally they are bound to
help their back, while they must always worry the half-back
or back who has filched the ball from them.

Easy as the position is, good right-wing forwards are
comparatively rare — a wholly unaccountable circumstance.
It is many years since England had a really great player
in this position. A famous right-wing combination of
the late nineties was that of C. H. M. Ebden and J. H.
Home, a product of Cambridge University. The former
played on the wing, and with his hockey skill suplemented
by fine athletic qualities, was the beau ideal of an outside
right, and a type of which nature is anything but prodigal.
W. M. Johnstone has already been mentioned, and if only
every young candidate for proficiency at outside right could
study at first hand the play of this famous exponent, there
would soon be less scarcity of good right wings in the land.

Inside Left

So much of what is true of one position is also appli-
cable to another. Therefore the danger of repetition. But
repetition is not always a thing to avoid. It is sometimes
beneficent — the hammer rap that startles the attention and
emphasises what is important. Thus, when considering
inside left, a position of close similarity to centre forward,
repetition is first inevitable and then wise, and wise because
the avoidance of repetition might lead the unwary reader
into the mistake of supposing that certain qualifications
necessary for a centre were not necessary also for an inside
left because mention of them had been omitted from the
treatment of the latter position.

IN PLAY— THE FORWARD LINE 71

To the average player who has tried the various
positions in the field, inside left is the one he finds least
comfortable and most awkward. What makes it thus is
the necessity it imposes on the player of much turning of
the body from left to right before anything profitable can
be done with the ball. Especially is this so when the
circle is reached. The ball is to the player's left and the
goal to his right, and consequently shooting a difficult
matter. And in thjs connection a fault to which inside left
is very prone is the blind obstinacy of persisting in an
endeavour to shoot when a shot is certain to be fruitless,
and when the right course is to pass back or in to his
centre, or to his left wing, if that player chances to be close
to the circle. When a pass comes to him from the right,
or when he is square to the goal with the ball on his right
side, then it is both easy and fitting for inside left to shoot.
And yet in spite of his difficulties in the circle, perhaps
because of them, inside left — a good inside left, that is — >
scores many goals. The explanation lies here, that so many
of his tries for goal are in the nature of a push stroke from
left to right across the goal-keeper and towards that
player's left hand — the most difficult shot with which a
goal-keeper must deal. For the right execution of this
stroke — and the stroke will be as necessary in mid-field as
in the circle — inside left requires strong and supple wrists.

If the ball is too far to his left and his body turned too
much that way, this diagonal push stroke is impossible, and
inside left must cast about for an alternative. The only one
to hand, apart from hitting the ball to some one else, is the
reverse stroke, so successfully employed by T. Pethick — the
most resourceful inside left of all time. But this stroke is
difficult and Pethick a wonder, which to the average player
must mean that the stroke is only a last resource. As
Pethick was ambidextrous — the past tense is used in view
of his retirement from first-class hockey — his reverse stroke
came with sting and accuracy from his stick. He scored
plenty of goals that way, and not a few with his left hand

72 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

alone. H. R. Jordan, another famous inside left, is so
cunning in his control of the ball that he seldom suffers it
to be outside the scope of the push stroke, and thus seldom
exploits the reverse stroke for actual shooting, although his
reversed stick is busy enough during one of those tortuous
dribbles for which he is noted.

When Pethick and Eric Green played side by side for
Staines and England, then was seen a left-wing combination,
brilliant, remarkable, and for effectiveness never matched.
Unlike so many left-wing pairs, these two brilliants were
always in touch, never so separated as to be no longer a
combination. Even when the game took Pethick away
from his partner to the circle, he was not unmindful of
Green, who, like the wise player he is, himself closed in,
ready to have the ball tipped on to him in the event of
Pethick finding no avenue for a direct shot. Intelligence
of this sort is the very essence of combination. Inside left
is so dependent upon his wing partner that he is shorn
of much effectiveness if that player is not in complete
sympathy with him. This is why personal friends usually
combine so well. Each plays for the other's hand as well
as for his own, not blindly and without premeditation, but
advisedly, in fulfilment of a well-thought-out plan, discussed
and elaborated off the field. One would like to see far
more of this in hockey — friendships off the field as
combinations on the field, and councils of war preceding
victorious play. No team was ever great that would not
have been still greater had esprit de corps been stronger and
social intimacy among its members. The failure of many
an International team is the lack of personal intimacy
amongst its members, several of whom are probably
meeting and playing together for the first time. Who
would look for the finest sort of combmation from such a
heterogeneous circumstance ? If there is to be combination
of the first water, there must be real comradeship among
the players. Pethick and Green were " Tom " and " Eric "
to one another off and on the field, a fact which throws a

IN PLAY— THE FORWARD LINE 73

pleasant little sidelight — despite the smile of the reader
who lacks imagination — on one of the causes of their
effectiveness in double harness. When members of a team
use the Christian name in calling to one another on the field,
it is pretty certain that here is a team with esprit de corps^
with a good record, and with a right to enjoy their hockey.

This is less digression than appears, because inside left
occupies such a central position, with a player on either
side of him, that any lack of mutual confidence and under-
standing between him and the fellow-members of his team
will abridge his personal skill.

In mid-field play inside left must, speaking a little
loosely, follow one of three courses — pass to his wing, pass
to his centre, or dribble on himself If the last, it must be
merely as a means to an end — the end the scoring of a goal,
not self-advertisement. An individual dribble must be
abandoned the moment the end in view is more likely to
be attained by the medium of a pass. And what are the
signs of such a moment ? When the centre half is about
to tackle him from behind, and the right back from in front,
inside left is at the moment when a pass is the right thing.
The situation is clearly one that demands a pass to his
centre. This will be a diagonal push pass to a point a few
feet in front of the centre forward, so that the latter may
take it at full dash. But let inside left have a care of one
thing. If he leave his pass till the back is almost on him,
and if his centre is ahead of him, his pass may find that
player in an offside position. Or the right back might
deliberately run in to put the centre forward offside. In
either case, inside left must hold back his pass.

If the way to his centre is blocked and to dribble on is
fraught with danger, he must pass to his wing, and that he
can do only if the right half is out of the way, or if a pass
bit well ahead could be reached by outside left before it
crossed the side line, or before one of the opposing side
could reach it. If there is no immediate opening to his wing,
he must create an opening by dribbling towards the half.

74 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

This will either lure that player inwards or push him to
retreat. If the former, inside left will soon find a way-
round him for a pass ; and if the latter, he must retain the ball
awhile, or possibly send it to the attendant left half. There
is always a way out, but he must be definite and instant.

The crucial stage of the attack is the near approach to
the circle, when the three middle forwards need to be near
together, and when dash and combination are essential and
the harbingers of success. But dash is so likely to upset
combination and to result in individual scrambling after
goals. Let inside left beware of this tendency, and another
of the dangers of dash — the hitting of the ball too far in
front. His endeavour must be to ally dash with control.
Let him also avoid dribbling to the left of the goal, and
nearly to the goal-line. Many goals are lost this way. A
corner hit from the left will be fielded by the centre
forward for inside left, who will take the shot — the best of
all methods.

At the half-way bully inside left will stand close to his
centre, not more than two or three yards away. At the
roll-in from touch, whichever side is taking it, he will stand
at the 5 -yards line, careful to mark an opponent if it is
defence, and quick to place himself in communication with
the roller-in if it is attack.

Upon inside left, as upon inside right, devolves the task
of rushing the opposing backs. This requires not a little
nerve ; but it is encouraging to note that good backs will
seldom hit into a player, and that the nearer inside left gets
to the ball the less likely is he to get hurt. This latter
consideration should lend wings to his feet. Akin to this
somewhat unenviable duty is that of following up shots at
goal in the hope of catching the rebound from the goal-
keeper, or of trapping his clearing hit or kick, or of
flustering him into a blunder. And here emphasis should
be laid upon the importance of the three inside forwards
following up one another's shots.

Finally, inside left must be quick and wristy, an adroit

IN PLAY— THE FORWARD LINE 75

handler of his stick, and careful to avoid the body
obstruction which his position makes so easy of commission.

Outside Left

The position is an interesting one to discuss because of
its many difficulties. Few players perform these with
facility or distinction. Outside lefts are manufactured by
the gross every year, but very few indeed are masterpieces.
In ladies* hockey, where most clubs have a special coach,
either some old International or some former games mistress
of a girls* school, or some qualified instructor, good outside
lefts are fairly plentiful. Left alone, they would have
muddled along and played according to the light of nature,
with success only in the case of genius, but, carefully taught
the duties and methods of their position, they fall into a
style of play which, if stereotyped, is at least free from the
gaucherie and active mistakes of the untutored. In men*s
hockey it is different Save for a chance word of advice or
admonition from the captain, there is practically nothing
that can be called coaching. This is a grave defect. Of
course, there is the usual interchange of ideas on all things
hockey by the players, in the train on the occasion of an
out-match, in the dressing-room, or wherever they may
chance to foregather ; but of practical coaching none. So
players must learn on the field by personal experience, and
from the play of others. Experience is an excellent school,
but in the case of outside left most emphatically it should
be preceded by individual instruction.

There is a conventional type of playing at outside left
which players lacking enterprise and creative ability follow
like sheep. They become horribly stereotyped. It is
down the wing to a given point, then a right turn, and, no
matter what the circumstances, an almighty slog into the
centre. The harder the hit, the greater their pleasure and
self-complacency. This is the eternal thing that discolours
so much club hockey. Want of thought, too great im-

76 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

pulsiveness, and obsession with the idea that a terrific bang
to the circle is the be-all and end-all of outside left play,
form the root of this common tendency.

Watch that great player, the greatest of all outside
lefts, Eric Green, and mark how he nurses his opportunities,
instead of dissipating them by too conventional practices,
and makes his famous right-angled hit from touch-line to
circle only when wisdom dictates, not because it is the
fashionable thing to do.

The very essence of intelligent hockey is to diversify
one's methods. An outside left who becomes stereotyped
must also become increasingly ineffective. His opponents
come to know exactly the when, the what, and the how of
his action. So they can easily either anticipate it or make
provision against its effectiveness.

In lieu of his right turn and bang to the centre, let
outside left now and then try a dead stop, so that the
pursuing player shall overrun him, and then either a pass of
moderate pace to inside left or a continuation of his own
run, or let him try a dash for the circle. Let him ring the
changes on these and any other alternatives prompted by
circumstances or by his own resourcefulness and strategic
brain. No player will ever be great as an outside left who
cannot pass in to the centre while going at top speed.
This is the most difficult accomplishment required of him.
It is done by means of body turn, a half right turn of the
body from the hips up. The position of the feet and legs
is almost the same as though the hit were straight down
the field. The stick is not taken far back, the stroke being
essentially one of the wrist and forearm, but with plenty of
follow-through. It is a quick shot, otherwise it would not
be necessary, and correct timing is its complement Eric
Green — a household word wherever modern hockey light
shines — is the greatest exponent of this stroke.

If the player who makes this shot well is also a
cricketer, he is certain to have an offside shot past extra
cover, so akin are the two shots.

ERIC GREEN MAKING HIS FAMOUS CENTRE FROM OUTSIDE LEFT WHILE
RUNNING AT TOP SPEED BY MEANS OF A HALF RIGHT TURN OF THE BODY

IN PLAY— THE FORWABD LINE ;;

And the time to get rid of the ball by means of this
shot is a stride or two before the 2 5 -yards flag is
reached — provided, of course, that attendant circumstances
do not render this inopportune. If they do, then outside
left must try a full stop, a deliberate right turn, and a hard
hit into the centre. The object of his centring at the point
advocated is that the inside forwards may take his pass at
full speed, a circumstance far more likely to result in a goal
than if they had to wait stationary for his pass on the edge
of the circle. On this account, taking the ball down to the
corner flag, although often necessary and desirable, is not a
commendable practice. Should outside left find himself
near the corner flag, or near the goal-line outside the circle,
he must pass back to the inside forwards, waiting just
inside the circle.

To minimise the difficulties of his position, outside left
must play near the touch-line, always within that and the
5 -yards line. When he gets a fast bumpy pass, let him
field it with his hand — the safest of all methods, provided
time does not press. Often a pass will come fast and
ahead of him which will be wasted over the side line unless
with stick reversed and extended in his left hand — the
most telescopic means at his disposal — ^he can stop the
ball. A strong wrist is necessary for this, quickness, and
much practice. An alternative stroke is the same thing
with the right hand; but the disadvantage attaching to
this is the fact that the right shoulder and right side of the
body may shut out the sight of the ball.

Outside left must be an adept at the two-handed
reverse stroke. It is often the last resource left to him.
And the beauty of it is that this stroke is best and most
easily made when the player is going at top speed. It is
really a wrist flick with the point of the stick. Irish
players seem to employ it more and better than English.
F. M. Hewson, a distinguished Irish left-winger, is the first
exponent of this emergency stroke: not that it is an
emergency stroke in his case; it is an active part of his

78 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

game. In the few minutes of practice which usually
precede an International match, Hewson will run down the
field and practise this stroke at the expense almost of all
others, thus clearly showing that he at least regards it as a
valuable asset of his play and a stroke that requires and
deserves much practice. First-class players will sometimes
belittle the importance and need of this stroke, but that is
because they cannot make it effectively themselves, and
therefore do not find it useful.

Every outside left should practise assiduously to perfect
himself at this stroke — not with a view to its usurping the
place of the orthodox hit, but in order that when the
occasion arises for its use it may be made with confidence
and effect. And not even constant practice will assure
certainty. The player who brought it off successfully time
and again one day, will break down over the stroke as
often the next.

Outside left is in constant peril of putting himself
between an opponent and the ball. He is in full view of
the umpire, his every twist or turn cruelly exposed, and
ready to be interpreted as obstruction. So he must be
very careful. Circling round the ball from right to left,
besides being bad hockey and wasteful of time, is the
shortest possible cut to a penalty. Hitting between the
feet is another short cut. In fact, he is never really safe
unless facing towards his opponents' goal.

In one respect outside left has a decided pulj over
outside right. As it is easier to hit to the left than to the
right, outside left will, in the normal order of things, receive
more passes than outside right, although the growing
proficiency in the push stroke is minimising this advantage.
This pleasant fact should go far to console him for the
many limitations and difficulties of his position.

CHAPTER VII
IN PLAY— THE BACK DIVISION

Goal-keeper

THE post of goal-keeper is still with us ; it has withstood
the trend of circumstances, and refuses to become
the anachronism many have sought to make it.
And what are the forces that have imperilled the retention
of the goal-keeper in hockey ? For utilitarian purposes, and
in some cases because of the difficulty in securing good
goal-keepers, numbers of clubs have from time to time
adopted the three backs or the four half-backs system. In
recent years the practice has become all too common, to the
detriment of hockey. And among the converts to this
heresy are some of the leading Metropolitan clubs — Staines
and Southgate, to name two signal examples. Small
wonder, then, that goal-keepers have at times trembled for
their avocation. But the arguments against these heretical
systems are so much more urgent than those for that they
are never likely to become general, and certainly never to
obtain in International matches.

And seeing that this question so nearly affects the
goal-keeper, it will not be irrelevant to touch upon it here.

From the spectator's point of view, the four half-backs
game (and the thrde backs game scarcely less) is an absolute
spoil-sport. Under the good old-fashioned disposition of
the eleven players, a hockey team is like a machine, and a
first-class team like a machine in good working order. But
when such a team meets the four half-backs game, the result

79

8o THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

is as often as not dislocation and a machine no longer
smooth- working. The inevitable answer to this will be that
such was the very result aimed at by the opposing team.
But the edge of this answer is turned when it is shown, as
it easily can be, that the four half-backs work the self-same
disorder in their own team as they do in that of their
opponents. The tendency is for combination to suffer^
and for the game to degenerate into a scramble, a rabble, a
congested medley, which parodies hockey at its best, and
irritates spectators by robbing them of their enjoyment

If hockey is to become popular as a spectacle, it must
cleave to the orthodox disposition of the players. Further-
more, it is a fallacy to suppose that any real advantage is
to be gained by abolishing the goal-keeper and substituting
for him an extra back or half-back. That some teams
have done this and imagined it to pay is no argument in
its favour. Because a thing succeeds, it is not therefore
necessarily right. Given two teams of equal strength, the
one with and the other without a goal-keeper, and the former
will always win. Provided the circle can be reached, goal-
scoring is made comparatively easy when no gloved and
padded defender stands between the posts. Twelve feet of
undefended space would be at the absolute mercy of such
quick and deadly shots as Logan, Shoveller, and Pridmore,
England's three inside forwards on so many occasions, and
joint scorers in the Olympic contests of 1908 of some
20 goals. And even if one of the backs does drop back
into goal in an emergency, misunderstandings are certain
to arise, and in the nature of things he cannot prove so
reliable as a regular goal-keeper.

So the goal-keeper is likely to remain one of the
permanent institutions of hockey.

When regard is had to the manifold hardships of goal-
keeping and to the uninspiring nature of the goal-keeper's
duties, it seems strange that players are so ready to fill the
post. In many cases, indeed, this readiness amounts to
enthusiasm, and there are goal-keepers who entertain the

IN PLAY— THE BACK DIVISION 8i

same ardent affection for their office as do backs, forwards,
and halves for theirs. They practise and train for the
special requirements of their position with the utmost zest,
and bear with equanimity the idle afternoons they chance
to spend between the posts. So there must be excitements
and rewards — as indeed there are — in goal-keeping which
are not apparent to the lay eye.

But it will be well for the sake of those who purpose
becoming goal-keepers to paint the dark side of the picture
first, not to discourage them from their intention, merely
to prepare them against disappointments. To be fore-
warned is to be forearmed.

A goal-keeper gets many and hard knocks. His position
is one of danger. The enemy's guns are turned full upon
him. He is the centre of their hottest broadsides. Whether
shots are at long or at short range, travelling slow or flying
fast, he must do his best to stop them, interposing hand or
foot, stick or person. Then his comrades-in-arms often
accentuate the perils of his position. In their proper eager-
ness to resist the attack they throng the goal and interrupt
his view of the ball. For his own safety's sake and that of
his goal it is essential that the goal-keeper should have a
clear and unimpeded vision of the ball all the way from the
stick of the attacking forward. Nothing is so likely to
result in the dual disaster of injury to the goal-keeper and
the defeat of his skill as this imperfect and interrupted view
of the ball. Against really good forwards the dangers of
goal-keeping are far less than against third-rate players,
because the former place their shots to right and left of the
goal-keeper, often with a gentle, persuasive push, instead of
hitting into him with brutal directness.

And while the goal-keeper is exposed to so much danger,
he is himself a grave source of danger to his opponents, and
not infrequently to his own comrades, if this is any consola-
tion. His flying hits, often rising head-high, and his lofted
kicks, are a menace to the whole circle. He must remember,
however, that the better the goal-keeper the less dangerous
6

82 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

the game he plays, because it is bad hockey to hit or kick
into a player. The object of the goal-keeper must be to hit
or kick the ball clear away to a place of safety. One of
the surest signs of bad hockey is this barbarous practi<je of
hitting into players. It is thoughtless and brutal, and never
necessary, although occasionally excusable, and sometimes,
in the case of the goal-keeper, practically unavoidable.
Unfortunately it is not confined to goal-keepers, but is a
malpractice into which all players of reckless and slogging
propensities are apt to fall.

In addition to dangers from ball, stick, and person of
his opponents, the goal-keeper is subjected to all the rigours
of the weather. He will experience the whole gamut of
meteorologic vicissitudes, from a drizzling rain to a howling
blizzard. But provided the inner and outer man are
adequately fortified, he will find his calling a bracing and
healthy one.

In view of the dangers and rigours to which the goal-
keeper is exposed, his equipment is a matter of the first
importance. Assuming that the temperature is what it
should be in the hockey season — low rather than high —
he must be warmly clad. Nothing saps the courage and
energy from a player so much as coldness and numbness in
body and limbs. A thick vest, a flannel shirt, a substantial
sweater, and a muffler should resist all save the bitterest
cold, provided circulation is aided by sentry-go from goal-
post to goal-post, or by the more vigorous exercise of
running to and from the edge of the circle. To keep the
hands warm, comfortably, but not tightly, fitting gloves
should be worn, the material of that sort which will allow
a firm grip of the particular handle the player affects.
Cricket pads are now worn by all good goal-keepers, and
over a pair of thick stockings will keep the legs sufficiently
warm. Both gloves and pads, besides preserving the goal-
keeper from cold, prove a most valuable defensive asset,
enabling him to stop with impunity shots which would
otherwise cause sore or broken bones. The boots worn by

EQUIPPED FOR GOAL-KEEPING-H. WOOD, A FAMOUS ENGLISH
GOAL-KEEPER

IN PLAY— THE BACK DIVISION 83

some goal-keepers are fearsome things, amorphous masses
of leather, corrugated with strips of cane or indiarubber,
fashioned to resist the hardest of shots and hardest of balls.
Whether such boots handicap more than they help or no,
the goal-keeper should see to it that his boots are strong
and well guarded on the inside, as he will be required to
stop many a shot with this part of the foot.

Needed for strong rather than delicate work, his stick
should be heavy, anything from 23 oz. upwards.

Thus fully accoutred the goal-keeper may set out to
play the game. And in the following attempt to instruct
him a blunt and imperative method is employed.

Stand in the middle of the goal, if anything rather to
the left, so that the right hand, right foot, and stick may
guard the greater part of the goal, and stand, in play, at
least a foot over the goal -line. This latter necessity is
obvious. Hold the stick in the right hand. Concentrate
the attention upon the play, and as the opposing forwards
approach the circle move towards the side where the ball is.
Thus, if it is with the attacking left wing, move to the right
of the goal. When the forwards enter the cirtle let vigil-
ance be redoubled. If a shot comes from the edge of the
circle, it will, or should, be a fast one. Keep cool and take
your time. Indulge not in a flying hit, but stop the ball
with hand or foot and hit it hard away to the touch-line.
If the shot is a bad one, a slow one that comes lobbing
along, beware! This is the sort that so often scores.
Treat it with respect. Get well • in front of it, and,
above all, hold back the flying hit you are so tempted
to indulge. Is the shot from the right wing, move to
the left and face the shooter squarely, and if from the
left wing act accordingly. The angle at which the shot is
taken will decide you as to how far to the left or right
you move.

When the forwards shoot at close quarters, spread your-
self out, ready for shots to right or left of you. Decide on
your action at once, and act promptly. Hesitation spells

84 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

a goal. You have many defensive agents — hand, foot, leg,
body, head, stick ; be prepared to use them all ! Good
forwards place their shots. Try to anticipate their inten-
tion. If you are cunning enough you may even practise
little deceptions upon them. Such forwards as Shoveller
will practise deceptions upon you. He will come close up
to you and persuade the ball into the right-hand corner of
the net, when by all the laws of common sense and anatomy
he ought to have shot into the left-hand corner. But
Shoveller is a genius, and so superior to such trivialities as
common sense and anatomy. Unless you are a genius
yourself, do not attempt to meet a genius with his own
weapons. Stay-at-home goal-keepers are fair game for
forwards who shoot at short range. "To attack is to
defend " is a well-worn aphorism, but one that goal-keepers
do not practise often enough. So go out of goal more
often to these clever, pushful forwards who finesse the ball
into goal rather than shoot it there. No one has played
against forwards of this school, the English school, and, of
course, the best school, more often in representative matches
than E. P. C. Holmes, the Irish goal-keeper. And frequently
during the course of a match does this very original player
deem it best to venture forth and meet the English attack,
But he picks his opportunities and occasions for so doing.
Nothing is more fatal than indiscriminate rushing out of
goal. When a forward has got clean away by himself, and
is bearing down on the goal all unmolested, go out to meet
him, and the farther the better. It is your only hope. Do
not waver, but do not rush headlong at him. If you do, he
will quietly hit the ball to one side of you and run round
on the other, and a goal will result

Then beware the flying hit. Use it only when delay is
dangerous, or when you can get nothing else but your stick
in the way of the ball. For this you need a good eye, as
you also do if you are to be a successful goal-keeper. When
you do essay this flying hit, do so with confidence. Let
there be no half measures, no tentative tap. Bang at the

IN PLAY— THE BACK DIVISION 85

ball heartily, but control your stick, despite the customary
leniency of umpires to goal-keepers.

Use your feet. Remember that you are privileged to
use your feet in a manner permitted to no other player.
Your privilege, however, is limited to the circle. Outside
this area you are, in respect to your feet, as other players ;
so never roam too far afield. All good goal-keepers kick
the ball, and where the forwards are quick to follow up their
shots it is perhaps the safest method of saving. But whether
you hit or kick the ball, keep your eye upon it — an ele-
mentary but necessary injunction, so seldom is it really
observed.

When your side toe the goal-line for a comer, see to it
that not more than one other player beside yourself stands
in the mouth of the goal. On the occasion of a penalty
comer the number in goal should be not less than three.

Do not concede a corner unless every other way of
saving a goal is closed to you. It should be the last resort.
Deliberate hitting over the goal-line results in a penalty
comer, taken 5 yards from the near goal- post, and with
good shots among the opposing forwards a goal is highly
probable.

Penalty bullies are rare. That is well if it implies what
it seems to imply — universally clean and scrupulous hockey.
In reality it means that umpires are chary of imposing so
drastic a penalty. But players must not take advantage of
this.

The goal-keeper must never incur a penalty bully. To
do so is an almost certain goal, as the foul will usually take
place right in front of goal, and the goal-keeper unversed
and unpractised in the art of " bullying " will stand little
chance against the picked champion of the other side.
Then he is put at a still further disadvantage by the fact
that he may not use his feet during the progress of a
penalty bully. Should he so far forget himself as to do so,
the umpire must give a penalty goal against his side. So
do nothing to incur a penalty bully.

86 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

And remember that goal-keeping is not solely defensive.
You can and must help your side to attack. Pass, when
it is safe, to one of your own forwards, that one whom you
consider to be in the most favourable position for attacking.
In most cases this will be a wing forward.

As a final piece of active advice, always get a little
preparatory practice before a match. You will never want
for players to shoot at you. The practice will loosen your
joints, warm your blood, get your eye in, and give you
confidence.

The Backs

There is a popular delusion that a back need not
possess pace. The truth is that unless he does he can
never rise above mediocrity. It must be his first qualifica-
tion. Is a forward losing the keen edge of his pace, then
shunt him to the half-back line or still farther back, was
formerly — and probably still is — the accepted policy in
places where hockey light shone but dimly. In truth the
extent of a player's deterioration came to be measured by
the position he occupied. It was a sort of graduated scale,
a player's tenancy of the post of goal-keeper marking the
last stage in his decay. Players who had arrived at this
last shift would taunt their friends with " You're coming,
you're coming back ; you'll soon be with us." Nor are
prominent clubs entirely free from this tendency. Veterans
who have become stiff of limb and slower by several yards
in fifty than they were, are retained in the team as backs,
or extra backs, or flying halves with a roving commission,
but no suggestion of flight in their movements. It may be
that the committee have not the heart to pass sentence of
eviction upon them, or that there are no young players to
take their place ; but there it is, and the impression is created
that the rear-guard is the place for encumbrances, and that
pace and quickness are not the sine qua non of a back«
There is just this reservation, however, that many a veteran
back who has lost something of his youthful pace makes

IN PLAY— THE BACK DIVISION Zy

good this deficiency by virtue of his experience and judg-
ment, and is thus often of greater value to his side than a
younger player who is fleeter of foot but less experienced.
One consideration which makes the possession of pace so
important for a back, and which may easily be overlooked,
is the fact that he must go in to meet forwards already at
top speed, and if he fail to check, or if he overshoot, them,
must face about and pursue them. What chance would a
slow-footed back have in such circumstances ? So a back
needs to be speedy, quick at turning, and fast into his
stride.

Then he must be a powerful hitter, not a slogger, but
hard and clean on to the ball, with plenty of forearm, and that
final snap of the wrists which adds sting to the stroke. It
is so easy for a back to degenerate into a slogger. There
are many painful instances on record of such degeneracy.
To watch some backs, no one could imagine that a rule
existed forbidding the raising of the stick either in its
backward or forward swing above the shoulder. During
the past few years the Irish backs have eeimed for themselves
a considerable reputation for " sticks." No doubt the
umpiring in Ireland is to blame, but whatever the cause,
there it is, as the Irishmen have learnt to their cost when
visiting England, because English umpires, of whom M.
Baker has long been king, and G. H. Morton a worthy
second, insist on a strict observance of the rules. On the
occasion of their visit to England in connection with the
Olympic Games, the Irish scarcely transgressed at all in
this respect, and the brothers Peterson, hitherto, arch-
offenders, so curbed their sticks that they seldom drew
the whistle.

It is urgent, therefore, that a back should cultivate a
lawful style of hitting. As to the back swing he must
exercise restraint, while as to the forward swing he can
obviate the risk of "sticks" by turning his hands and
wrists over from right to left at the end of the follow-
through. H. S. Freeman, regarded as among the finest

88 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

exponents of back play, does this to a very noticeable degree,
and the Petersons hardly less, that is judging from their play in
the Olympic contest. But it is possible to hit hard and fairly
without employing this method. Although a back should be
a hard hitter he must temper this power with discretion. He
must not hit so hard that forwards cannot reach and gather his
drives — or passes, as they frequently should be. After watch-
ing a debauch of hard slogging by backs in a country match,
on a rough ground, it is as delightful as it is educating to see
a first-class back, skilled and self-contained, despatching
gentle passes in lieu of wild hits to his forwards, backing
them up and pressing home the attack. That is hockey.
The other may be enthusiasm, but unfortunately, or rather
fortunately, it is not hockey.

It is essential, too, that a back should field well with
hand, foot, and stick, be au fait with all the strokes of the
game, and understand the art of dribbling ; not that he will
find it desirous to use this last-named at all frequently, but
Jhis mere knowledge of it will greatly aid him in coping
with those whose part it is to exploit it. The extent of a
back's dribbling is seldom more than a few swift passes
with his stick and then a quick clear. And everything
preliminary to the clearing stroke is unnecessary if the clear-
ing stroke is possible without it. It constitutes just so much
delay. With the rules regarding "fouls " so strict, the devices
open to a hockey player are very limited. How, for example,
shall a back in possession of the ball and with an opponent
charging him down evade the latter ? The method par excel-
lence is for him to tap the ball gently to the right of the
on-charging player and step quickly to the left, rejoining the
ball when the danger — as represented by the on-charging
forward — is past, as it instantly and inevitably will be.

What is true for one player is often true for another,
and to the back as to the goal-keeper the warning must be
— beware the flying hit. On a bumpy ground the risk is
too great, or when the ball is a foot or more from the
ground. A team who possess a back prone to the flying

IN PLAY— THE BACK DIVISION 89

hit are a team of many anxious moments. And what
burdens such a back imposes upon his partner! The
latter must leave the protection of his own territory to cover
these wholly unnecessary indiscretions.

And where shall the backs stand, how far behind the
half-backs ? is a question constantly asked. There can be
no final answer to this question. Circumstances must
decide the conduct of the backs in this respect. Slow backs
will, of course, stand farther from the halves than fast ones.
In attack the backs will do well to lessen the distance
between themselves and their forwards so as to crowd in
the attack and maintain its continuity. When their
forwards are in the circle they should be well up and over
the half-way line. And let them always bear in mind that
the heavier the ground the nearer should they play to their
forwards. Still, although the best way to defend is to
attack, there is a danger lest in obeying this maxim the
backs hamper the halves and clog the wheels of combina-
tion. And if the backs be slow they incur the additional
danger of being outdistanced by fast forwards. On the
other hand, by standing too deep they allow the opposing
forwards to get well into their stride, and to approach too
near the circle before attempting to check them. And akin
to this is one fatal mistake into which backs are liable to
fall — and half-backs too. It is that of retreating before
oncoming forwards, instead of going in boldly and un-
hesitatingly, but not impetuously, to meet them. To retreat
is to bring danger ever nearer to the goal and to curtail the
scope of beating off the attack, while to advance is to
multiply opportunity. This habit of retreating and retreat-
ing before forwards is among the commonest faults seen on
the hockey field. Tackle the moment you can is good
advice for any back. There are occasions, of course, when
to tackle is to invite disaster. But such occasions are
perfectly obvious. The right moment for tackling, for
darting in to rob the opposing player of the ball, that the
back must decide for himself. And he can help himself

90 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

to this decision by keeping his opponents under close
observation. Moreover, he has this in his favour, that
his movements and intentions are far less evident to his
opponents than theirs are to him. A forward dribbling
dare not lift his eyes from the ball ; his vision is accordingly
limited, and a wily back will often come upon him unawares.
This is what a back must aim at. Then a back must often
decide on a race for the ball, whether he can get there before
the forward or no. And it is not every good player who
can successfully judge distances.

The position of his opponent's body and a quick glance
at his eyes will often enable a back to anticipate the direc-
tion of the former's pass. If it is to the back's right he will
thrust out his right foot or his stick, but seldom the hand
at close quarters. If the pass is a wide one, the stick held at
the end of the handle with the arm fully extended is the
only way to stop the ball. The stick may he held in either
the right or the left hand. If in the latter, the stroke used
will be the " lunge." Alan Jenkins, the finest back that
ever came out of the West, employed this " lunge " most
effectively on such occasions, while H. S. Freeman invariably
affects the right-hand method. If the pass goes the other
way, to the back's left side, he will use his left foot, or stick
transferred, or the right-hand " cut;" This last stroke is a
dangerous one to use in tackling a forward, by reason of the
strong likelihood of a foul that it invites.

Dalliance with the ball beyond what is necessary for
purposes of outwitting the opposition is fatal in a back.
Forwards may toy with the ball and little harm accrue, but
disaster will inevitably overtake the back who indulges in
" gallery " asides. " Get rid of the ball at once " is a sound
principle for backs. Instant action, indeed, must be their
guiding star. Finally, the backs should not stand too far
from one another, lest a fast centre forward should have a
clear run for goal.

IN PLAY— THE BACK DIVISION 91

Right Back

Competition is so keen nowadays, and the standard of
play so high, that to win distinction a player must specialise.
In the old days a back was a back, and no one troubled
about such fine distinctions as " right " or " left." If a
player was a hard hitter, and possessed certain defensive
qualities, he was labelled " back " and put in that position,
either right or left, according to circumstances, but not
necessarily according to his own preferences, if he had any.
Selection committees, or whatever the authority that chose
the teams in those days, picked the best individual players
and thought lightly of selecting one accustomed to play on
the right for the position of left back. This sort of thing
was of frequent occurrence, especially in the provinces. Nor
was it an altogether mistaken practice. A player's excel-
lence is not always confined to only one position. A good
back will not infrequently make an admirable half, and
vice versa. Indeed, there are instances of players who have
filled almost every position on the field with ability and
success. One of these versatile players in the short space
of three seasons did duty for his county as outside right,
outside left, centre forward, right half, and right back. But
this was many years ago, and times have greatly changed.
No player is granted the opportunity of evincing such
versatility. Here and there may be found a player, such as
J. H. Pattison, Hon. Secretary of the Army Hockey Associa-
tion, and as fine a back as any in the country, equally pro-
ficient at right as at left back, or one who fills the position
of left half as creditably as that of centre half, or a forward
who feels as much at home in an inside berth as on the
wing. But in first-class hockey such cases become increas-
ingly exceptional. The tendency is ever more and more to
specialise. And this is so with backs, although perhaps not
to the same extent as in the case of the other places in the
field. At one time England's two foremost exponents of
back play — H. C. Boycott and H. S. Freeman — were both

92 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

right backs. Versatile and resourceful players as they were,
neither could play as effectively on the left. Despite this,
however, they were played together for England, which
proves nothing except the faith of the Selection Committee
in their ability. This instance is recorded to show, even
though it be indirectly, the need for specialising.

It is customary for the right back to play farther up the
field than his partner. Therefore, if one of the two lacks pace
it certainly must not be the former. Pace, as has already
been stated, is essential to backs, but especially essential to
the right back with his additional ground to cover.

Now the constitution of a hockey team and the dis-
position of the players are such that in defence the right
back will have one player and only one under his immediate
surveillance. This player is his opponents* inside left. There
are no odds at hockey ; each player has his vis-d-vis^ and
theoretically a game of hockey is a series of encounters
i deiix. And it is well to have a theory ; it aids discipline,
and often proves a corrective memory. But theory and
practice are two different things, and the exigencies of actual
play are apt utterly to confound the former. So, although
inside left is his first and particular charge, the right back
will not confine his activities to this player. He will often
be called upon to go across and tackle the outside left, and
not infrequently to thwart the intentions of the centre
forward, especially if that player is of nomadic habits. And
in some special emergency he may not be out of place even
on the far right wing. If a goal is thus saved, no one can
charge him with vagrancy, seeing that the saving of goals is
the sole objective of defence, just as the scoring thereof is
of attack. Despite this, there is a disposition on the part of
certain captains who are determined sticklers for theory and
orthodoxy, to growl at players for getting out of position,
no matter what the circumstances. To quote an extreme
instance of this — one of these hide-bound captains rebuked a
centre half for leaving his conventional sphere of operations
to stay the progress of an outside left who had eluded and

IN PLAY— THE BACK DIVISION 93

outdistanced the rest of the defence. And this despite the
success of the centre half's misdemeanour (?). Nor is this
an isolated case, so tyrannical is orthodoxy. This is the
fetish that stifles individuality and enterprise. So captains
will further the interests of the game in general, and of their
team in particular, if they grant more discretionary powers
and more latitude to individual players.

As the right back should have as much as possible of
the game to his right hand, he should keep slightly to the
right of his centre half, or about midway between the
opposing centre forward and inside left. In these days of
strict umpiring and clean hockey the right back must be
wary as to his tackling. So far as tackling the inside left
goes, this is simplified by his playing to the left of that
forward. In setting out to tackle this player, his object is
either to rob him of the ball, or to make him get rid of it,
or to spoil or intercept his pass. And it is important to
note that if the right back merely makes his opponent pass
the ball he has done well, because he has compelled what is
fai more likely to break down than individual effort, to wit,
passing among the forwards.

Quickness and picking the right moment for darting in
are the means by which he will rob inside left of the ball ;
and it will be a matter solely for the stick. For spoiling,
that telescopic *' lunge " with the left hand or the right hand
thrust will be most effective, while for intercepting passes to
the centre forward he will use his left foot or his stick
reversed. These are the difficult passes to deal with. The
passes which go to outside left are much more readily
intercepted. And when the right back has trapped the
ball and cheated his opponents of it, what shall he do with
it ? Hit it hard away to the touch-line, if he cannot safely
pass it to one of his own forwards, being careful to gain as
much ground as possible, and keep the ball as long in play
as possible for outside right. Those right-angle slogs out
of play are seldom other than unnecessary. Constant
hitting out of play is bad hockey, and peculiarly irritating

94 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

to spectators. A gentle pass to the centre or right half is
often a telling substitute for the customary clearing hit.
This is all in defence. When his own forwards are attack-
ing, and he has gained possession of the ball through
stopping a break away by the opposing front line, he must
refrain from hitting it out of play, or too vigorously. Let
him pass quickly, because quickness is the essence of the
contract, either to the centre forward or inside right, his
special charge in attack, but very seldom to the outside
right if the forwards are near the circle. To pass to the
wing in such circumstances is to give the defence time to
block the circle and hamper shooting. For attacking pur-
poses, the right back, as also the left, will often need to use
the " push " pass. So let it be one of his acquirements.

When a " comer " is being hit by his own side, he should
stand farther to the right in order to intercept the clearing
hit of the defence towards touch. And should the right
back charge out to the edge of the circle when a " corner "
is hit by his opponents? This none too pleasant task
belongs to the forwards, and the backs should let it alone,
if for no other reason than for this, that " too many cooks
spoil the broth."

Left Back

Human nature being what it is, there is nothing sur-
prising in the assertion made by right backs, that, despite
the popular idea to the contrary, theirs is the more difficult
of the two back positions. Their main contention in sup-
port of this assertion is that they have the bulk of the
game on their left, whereas left backs have the bulk on
their right. But somehow practice does not square with
this theory, and in watching a hockey match the impression
is that the lot of a left back is more awkward than that of
his partner. The former so constantly finds himself
running towards the touch-line with the play on his left,
obliged to use the difficult reverse stroke, or unable to
tackle for fear of a foul.

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IN PLAY— THE BACK DIVISION 95

Unfortunately for themselves, right backs cannot give
the only proof which would establish the truth of their
assertion — and we have two such distinguished right backs
as H. C. Boycott and H. S. Freeman unable fully to repeat
their prowess at left back.

Now, seeing that in defence the left back is responsible
for the opposing inside right, he is clearly out of position
unless the outside right is some way to his left, and as this
wing player is probably the speediest member of the attack,
and as it will often fall to the left back to bar his progress,
the difficulty of the former's position is obvious. It is so
easy for him to foul outside right. That is one thing he
must avoid. And if he avoids doing that, and secures the
ball, he is in all probability so placed that he can either
use only the reverse stroke or else hit out of play, and not
much ground gained. Should he be pursuing the wing
forward, he must run round and tackle him from the touch-
line or right side. This entails loss of time, and he must
needs be very fast to overhaul the fugitive. And let the
left back make generous use of the privilege, still retained
in men's hockey, of hooking sticks. This will often be his
only means of interfering with outside right's final centre. If
he sees there is no chance of his overtaking this speedy wing
player, let him choose the shortest cut to his normal posi-
tion. He may be just in time to intercept the hit-in, or to
harass one of the other forwards in his efforts after a goal.
But whatever course he adopts, he must never abandon hope
or endeavour. As, however, inside right, rather than the
wing, is left back's special quarry, his duties in connection
with that player must form the special subject for considera-
tion. He will do well to play somewhat to the left of his
charge. The benefit thus accruing will be twofold : he will
be able to tackle instantly without manoeuvring to avoid a
foul, while he will be advantageously placed for intercepting
passes from inside to outside right. There is no defensive
stroke like the left-hand " lunge " for quickness or for taking
an opponent by surprise. Left back will find it invaluable

96 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

in spoiling inside right's intentions. Those who saw Alan
Jenkins, the famous West of England left back, play, will
recollect how frequently and effectively he used this " lunge."
Indeed, no one ever played this stroke so well or turned it
to such good account. But then Jenkins was ambi-dextrous,
and the stroke came as readily to him as the right-hand
thrust did to E. V. Jones or Freeman or Boycott. On the
occasion of the South v. West match at Bristol in 1901,
Jenkins, playing at left back for the latter division, gave
frequent demonstration of the spoiling qualities of the
" lunge." Over and over again, when the situation seemed
past redemption, he would fliek in with his patent " lunge "
— it was nearly his monopoly in those days, although fairly
common now — in the nick of time and frustrate Shoveller's
goal-scoring intention, And here it may be noted inci-
dentally that Jenkins was a far greater back than the author-
ities ever gave him credit for being. True, by way of a
sop to the claims his admirers had for years put forward on
his behalf, he was given his " cap " against Scotland ; but as
his game was then past its zenith, this tardy recognition of a
grand player's merits came too late to give much satisfaction
or to serve any useful purpose. This " lunge," which is so
telescopic, so quick, so unexpected, and so much safer for
its exponent than the right-hand thrust, must then be a part
of left back's stock-in-trade. And he must be a deft handler
of his stick, prompt to reverse it and use it that way either
with left hand or with both hands. If inside right essays a
pass to his wing, left back will often be limited to one chance
of intercepting or diverting the pass, namely, to the stroke
in which the stick is held at full length in the left hand
with the toe of the stick pointing to the ground. A strong
wrist is essential to this stroke, which is not really a stroke
at all, but merely a means of stopping the ball when outside
the ordinary means of doing so, or of gathering it from the
left and hooking across to the right side.

Left back must remember that he is part of a machine
and work in unison with left half, and especially watch for

IN PLAY— THE BACK DIVISION 97

the moment when the latter will compel the wing forward to
make his centre. Then is left back's great chance, and if he
is the alert player he must needs be would he command
success, he will appropriate the pass that was meant for
another — his enemy inside right. In attack, left back will
limit his hits down the field — hits which will be of the nature
of passes in their intention — to the centre forward and inside
and outside left. Rare occasions there may be when a hit
to the right wing is expedient, but these are too infrequent
to need special consideration. And left back must guard
against hitting too hard and hitting over the touch-line.

And let the final word to this player and to his partner
be an exhortation to self-restraint and judgment Without
these qualities no back is ever truly great. H. S. Freeman
is a perfect exemplar of these qualities. It is a liberal
education in back play to watch him keeping himself and
his hits under control, and exercising judgment in easy and
difficult circumstances alike.

CHAPTER VIII

IN PLAY— THE BACK DIVISION icmtinued)

The Half-backs

AND that is just what they are, half-h^cks and half-
forwards as well. Their play is an admixture of
back and forward play. They hit like the backs,
but not so hard, and they finesse like the forwards, but not
so much. They are the first line in defence, and the second
line in attack. Generally speaking, they are the busiest
members of the team, while their duties are more varied
than those of their comrades-in-arms. As the strength of
a chain is in its weakest link, so the strength of a hocktjy
team is in its half-back line. Any weakness here has a
crippling effect upon the whole side. A weak half-back
will spoil the opportunities and efficacy of the forwards, and
throw the back division out of gear. If circumstances
necessitate the inclusion of one or two inferior players in a
team, they should not be half-backs. By reason of their
central position the half-backs best supply deficiencies, so
let them be a good and reliable trio. Possibly the best
place for an inferior player is at wing forward ; not that
wing forward is an unimportant post, but because it is a
post that can be more easily and more naturally neglected
than any other. Too many matches illustrate the neglect,
the careless, but unintentional, neglect of wing forwards.
Nothing is easier or more common than starving wing forwards.
And, of course, if these players are below the standard of the

rest of their team, their starvation is the right course to adopt.

98

IN PLAY— THE BACK DIVISION 99

But in these days there should be such an emharras de
choix of players as to render inferiority an obsolete circum-
stance. The story of English supremacy at hockey is a
superlative line of halves behind a superb line of forwards.
Confirmation of this responds to a backward glance at the
hockey of the past ten years. During this period English
hockey has been rich in half-backs, of whom the most
renowned are R. E. Knowles, H. C. King- Stephens, J. N.
Burns, F. F. Blatherwick, F. C. Stocks ; while to-day the
best traditions of English half-back play are carried on by
the twin -brothers L. M. and J. Y. Robinson, — the former of
Cambridge, and the latter an Oxonian, — E. W. Page and
A. H. Noble, to name a few of the many gifted halves to be
found in English hockey. And the play of a first-class
modem half is so different from the rough-and-ready
methods of earlier days. Then it was chiefly stern defence
and vigorous hitting, the player disregarding the niceties of
the game, and using a stick suited to the hard hitter but too
heavy for quick and easy handling. The modern half-back
game is an altogether scientific business, in which hard
hitting, albeit frequently necessary, plays a minor part.
Instead of hitting hard, the half-back will, perchance, pass
the ball quietly to one of his forwards by means of that
" push " stroke so indispensable to the make-up of a modem
half, or, if that is not possible, will manoeuvre for an opening
before despatching the ball, or, as an alternative, will pass
to one of his backs. And this last device might well be
employed far oftener than it is. Want of thought being
the root of most bad hockey, any bad hockey played by
half-backs who employ this device will at least arise from
some other cause. As the modern half-back is also the
model half-back, it will help on the purpose of this chapter
to set forth his virtues and qualities here. Not, of course,
that there ever was a half-back so perfect as the one de-
picted. He is fast and agile, a storehouse of energy, and
absolutely untirable. He is watchful as a hawk, and swoops
down upon his opportunities as unerringly as that bird

lOO THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

upon Its prey. His watchfulness is of that sort which
eventuates in what is sometimes called intuition. Then
he is versed in all the tricks of dribbling, and knows how
to bring them to nought when exploited by an opponent.
Every stroke in the game and every turn and quip of the
stick respond to his nod. Of course he is fearless, and
also unselfish. So much for this paragon.

Before treating of the half-backs individually, it will be
well to resume for a brief space the general reflections with
which this subject was opened. The half-backs form the
backbone of the team. In a marked degree this trio of
players bear the strain and stress of battle. In defence and
attack alike they are at the heart of affairs. No space for
idleness is theirs. And much of their work is of the order
called "donkey," uninteresting and unobtrusive. If their
opponents are attacking, they will be busy tackling, worry-
ing, and intercepting passes. If, per contra^ the attack is
with their own forwards, they will be backing up the latter,
despatching passes, intercepting the hits of the defending
side, and eluding the vigilance of some hostile forward or
half-back. So they need to be of exhaustless energy and
well trained, sound in wind and limb. To play at half with
continuous zeal from end to end of a hard, fast game is
possible only to the trained player. Halves require to be
nimble of foot and quick to turn. So much of this turning
is asked of them. One moment they are facing the game,
the next it is behind them, and they must turn to pursue it.
More of the dodging which obtains in Rugby football is
required of the halves than of any other player. So none of
your heavy-footed, clumsy players will do for this position.

The normal and theoretical position of the half-backs
is about a dozen yards behind the forwards, this distance
tending to lessen in attack and increase in defence. But
dogmas as to the distances which should separate players are
impossible in hockey. It is a matter which the exigencies
of the moment and the discretion of the players must
decide.

IN PLAY— THE BACK DIVISION loi

It is all-important that, when their side is attacking,
the halves should be between their own forwards and the
opposing forwards. Thus ptaeed they will be better able
to appropriate the hits of the defenders, and to crowd in,
and maintain the continuity of, the attack. And it is
surprising how much ground three watchful halves can take
under their tutelage. They can make it almost impossible
for the defenders to clear. Given an eager and intelligent
watchfulness, and the physical readiness of those about to
start for a race, and there is very little ground between
touch-line and touch-line that the halves cannot guard.
When driven beyond the half-way line and compelled to
defend, the halves must retreat and take up their position
between their own backs and the enemy's front line.

If there is one fault more than another that halves are
prone to commit, it is that of hitting too hard. In attack
this fault is especially serious. Instead of the ball being
passed to a forward at a reasonable pace and a proper angle,
it is slashed wildly over the goal-line, and a golden oppor-
tunity is lost. Although among the most elementary of
faults, it is not unknown in first-class hockey. Indeed, it is
far too common, with this reservation, that it would seem, at
least, to be less so were the fielding of forwards safer.

An important duty that falls to the half-back is the
taking of free hits near the circle. And here promptitude
is the essence of the contract. The hit may be taken the
moment the penalty is awarded, provided there is no trans-
gression of the rule governing the free hit. The hit must
be taken at the place where the infringement occurred —
although there is much laxness in this respect — while no
player of the attackmg side may be within 5 yards of the
ball. Those, and the prohibition as to " scooping," are the
only conditions to which the free hit is subject. True,
the rule says that no other player than the striker shall be
within 5 yards of the spot where the free hit is made, but
unless the defending side gain some advantage by one or
more of their members being within 5 yards of this spot,

102 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

the umpire, by virtue of his discretionary powers, is not
compelled to sound his whistle.

Should the half-backs ever go into the circle in attack ?
is a vexed and oft-repeated question. They certainly
should not make a habit of it. For the most part it is
bad play, but now and then a sudden and unexpected dash
into the circle by a half-back is very effective. It takes
the defence by surprise. The wing halves have fewer
opportunities and less need than the centre half for entry
into the circle. The latter hovering on the edge of the
circle in support of his centre forward will happen upon
occasions when a shot at goal is obviously the best move.

In defence, the exigencies of the game will often
necessitate the presence of the half-backs in the circle. But
here, again, the less they are there the better, so important
is it that the backs should be unhampered and the goal-
keeper obtain a clear view of the ball. This does not
refer to the centre half, who, if he is to fulfil his duty of
marking the opposing centre forward, must accompany
that player into the circle.

Centre Half

The centre half is entitled to the priority he here
receives. His is the most important position in the half-
back line — possibly in the field. He is the very pivot of
the game, its heart and centre. He dominates the game
to a greater extent than any other player. The springs
of the attack are to be found in him, while he is the chief
rock of defence — the rock on which many a promising
forward movement splits. To his office the centre half
must bring boundless enthusiasm and energy. Unless
he is bubbling over with these he has mistaken his calling.
These qualities are a sine qua non. And withal he needs
must be hardy and well trained, determined and fearless.
There must be a keenness about him that stops just short
. of selfishness. Many a centre half is accused of selfishness

IS PLAY— THE BACK DIVISION 103

whose fault is nothing more nor less than superabundant
energy. The centre half cannot be too great a glutton
for work, provided such gluttony does not lead to poaching
on the preserves of the wing halves. His enthusiasm and
his avidity for work are two of the prime essentials of
a centre half; but they must not degenerate into their
corresponding vices.

Another abstract quality he must sedulously cultivate
is that of watchfulness. It is impossible to overestimate
the importance of this. Nor will ordinary watchfulness
do ; it must be eager and unremitting. One cannot play at
centre half in a jolly and jaunty fashion. It is a serious
business requiring acute concentration. The centre halfs
habit of mind and body must be one of intentness and
alertness, a hot and incessant alertness, that is never taken
unawares. He most watch his opponents with feline
insistence, deciding what their intentions are and acting
accordingly. And it is surprising how accurately a watch-
ful centre half will anticipate his opponents' intentions and
how quickly he will bridge the space that separates him
from the destination of the ball. It is safe to say that
no centre half has ever attained distinction without the
practice of this watchfulness.

The chief physical attributes of a centre half, in additton
to endurance, are a good eye, qukkness, considerable
dodging powers, and strength of wrist.

Endowed with the necessary mental, temperamental,
and physical equipment for the position, the player will, on
such a foundation, build confidently that knowledge and
practice of the special duties and requirements of a centre
half which will make him an efficient exponent of this
central position.

The true learner is he who learns ad initio y starts with
the A B C of his subject, content to walk first and run
later. No one can leap-frog over the period of learning
and novitiate straight into proficiency. And in the case
of the centre half especially fulfilment comes only after

104 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

much striving. So let the aspirant after honours in this
position learn his lesson humbly and patiently, and from
the beginning. And here let emphasis be laid upon
the value to a learner of watching the play of first-class
exponents. There is no more thorough, and certainly
no pleasanter, way of learning hockey. More may be
learnt of centre half-back play in an afternoon by a close
study of the methods of E. W. Page and L. M. Robinson,
for example, than by a month of ordinary club practice.

The two cardinal facts which must inform, before any
others, the mind of the centre half are these, that in defence
his paramount duty is to cling like a leech to the opposing
centre forward, and in attack to support and nourish with
passes his own centre forward, save when that player is
too closely marked. If this were the limit of his know-
ledge, so vital is it, he would be already more than half-
Ibrmed for his position. Just as a careless attitude
towards these two duties brings disaster, so does the strict
performance of them bring safety and success. Let the
centre half then realise their importance and make them
the bed-rock of his game.

If the opposing centre forward happens to be an
unusually clever and dangerous performer, the centre half
must exaggerate his duty, and dog this player's footsteps
and hamper him at every turn. How many centre halves
have set out with this resolve in the case of S. H. Shoveller
and have failed 1 But then Shoveller is a genius, and
would elude the vigilance of half a dozen centre halves.
In the circle the centre half must see to it that his charge
is never more than a stick's length away.

In attack the centre half must transfer his attention
to his own centre forward, and his energies to keeping
that player and the inside forwards well supplied with
passes. But his activities are much wider than these two
main duties. He has a share in looking after the three
inside forwards in either team. Although his operations
are theoretically confined lo the middle of the ground, he

O H

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IN PLAY— THE BACK DIVISION 105

in reality hunts very far to the right and left of this.
His is a roving commission. At one moment he will be
helping a needy brother on the right, and anon he will
go to the assistance of his colleague on the left. But let
him be quick to return to his own particular territory.
Absorbed with the idea that he is pass-bearer to his
centre forward, he runs some risk of neglecting the inside
forwards. The latter are chiefly dependent upon him for
their passes. Occasionally it will chance that none of
these three forwards is favourably placed for receiving
a pass. His plain course then is to hit the ball hard out
to one of the wing forwards.

A perfect understanding must exist between the centre
half and the half on either side of him. They must not go
for the ball, two of them at the same time. When this was
done in the old days of Rugby football, the captain's
warning cry would be " same side " — perhaps it is still the
cry. It will facilitate matters and allay any doubt if the
centre half cries " mine," or " yours." And incidentally it
may be remarked that centre half is the ideal place for the
captain of the team.

At the initial bully the centre half will stand immedi-
ately behind his centre forward slightly to the left of him,
and anything from one to three yards away. Many centre
halves stand close up and convert the bully into a m^^e
The practice is not to be commended. If the opposing
centre forward gets the ball he will probably do one of two
things, either pass to inside right or inside left. This the
centre half must frustrate, and so nip the attack in the bud.
The left-hand " lunge " will best check the pass to inside
left, while the right-hand " cut," or the stick held at the full
stretch of the left arm, will interfere with the pass the other
way. L. M. Robinson is particularly quick and clever at
this last method. And this business of interrupting the
intentions of the opposing forwards and of constantly
harassing them is a large part of the centre halfs occupa-
tion. He must compel these forwards to pass when they

io6 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

do not want to, if he cannot prevent their passing
altogether.

When his own forwards are in possession he must go
down the field in close attendance on them. It is rare,
but effective, for the centre half to attach himself to the
front line as a sixth forward. Thus the defence is out-
numbered and taken by surprise.

The centre half must be an adept at the various kinds-
of " push " and *' scoop " strokes. These strokes he will
use both in attack and defence, but chiefly in the former.
He could not possibly be first-class without them. And
the ability to play the ball on the volley must be his.
Hockey is such a quick game now that players must
either improvise strokes or else remain unresourceful and
mediocre.

Great players come and are quickly gone, superseded
by younger players. They have their day, but it is a short
one, except here and there where a veteran holds his own
with the rising generation. F. F. Blatherwick of Cheshire
was a few years ago England's most finished and scientific
centre half. But, alas ! his skill no longer helps England
to win matches. Were young players of to-day able to
take him as their model, we should speedily have a race of
sterling centre halves. Another characteristically English
centre half was H. C. King-Stephens, very sound in his
methods, adroit at extricating himself from difficulties, and
remarkably accurate at hitting the ball without first stop-
ping it, this last an achievement which players would do
well to emulate.

Left Half-back

As compared with other positions in the field, that of
left half-back is poorly served. Players who perform here
with distinction are few and far between. And, having
regard to the fact that demand creates supply, a con-
tributory reason for this may well be the inveterate paucity
of good right-wing forwards. But the root-cause of the

IN PLAY— THE BACK DIVISION 107

scarcity of accomplished left halves is the many difficulties
inherent to the position, and the consequent reluctance
of players to qualify for it. For the more showy and
attractive positions in the field there is never any dearth of
candidates. In truth there is a general scramble for them ;
players endowed, probably, with few and meagre qualifica-
tions for the positions, proferring themselves as centre
halves, centre forwards, right-wing forwards, etc. But for
the unpopular post of left half-back the candidates are
ominously few.

So here is an open door to hockey fame, and if they
would pass through it youthful aspirants must specialise as
left half-backs. And they will speedily discover that its
difficulties are, first, exaggerated, and then that they supply
the chief pleasures of the position.

The left half is in much the same case as the left back.
His main difficulty is the fact that, although the greater
part of the game is to his right hand, much of his own
work is inevitably on his left. He is constantly finding
himself either so placed that he cannot drive the ball and
yet keep it in play, or on the wrong and unassailable side
of a speedy wing forward. His dual endeavour then must
be first to obviate, as far as possible, these besetting diffi-
culties, and secondly to acquire a resourcefulness which will
enable him to surmount them. And nothing will aid his
first endeavour so much as the practice of playing near the
touch-line. And yet the practice receives scant observance
at the hands of left half-backs. Their universal tendency,
indeed, is to drift from the touch-line and gravitate towards
the centre of the field. This is the common fault of left
half-backs. In the case of tyros this fault is rampant So
that left half-backs are themselves largely to blame for the
difficulties of their position, while they manufacture trouble
for their side and throw the defence out of gear. And all
this because they do not grasp the importance of, nor yield
obedience to, the maxim " Lie well out on the touch-line."
A moment's reflection and the simplest intelligence will

lo8 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

comprehend what effect the observance of this maxim is
bound to produce. But the left half must not be an
extremist. Obedience to this maxim is to be tempered by
discretion. The left half who *' freezes " to the touch-line,
while of limited value to his side, is at least preferable to
him of widely wandering habit.

In defence the left half s specific duty is marking down
outside right ; in attack nursing outside left.

If his two charges play hockey aright, they will,
generally speaking, confine their activities to the 5 yards
between the touch-line and the intersected line marked for
purposes of the " roll-in." So it must be the endeavour of
the left half to operate as much as possible within this
5 -yards space. In defence he should incline rather more
to the touch-line than in attack. So far as outside right is
concerned, the left half s duties are simple. He must tackle
that player, and either rob him of the ball or make him pass
it to inside right. The fulfilment of these duties is almost
a regular certainty if the left half plays near the touch-line
and has pace. He leaves his opponent so little margin for
outwitting him. When he has deprived him of the ball he
must beware lest outside right return the compliment, as a
good outside right will endeavour to do. So he must be
brisk and " nippy," and part with the ball quickly, but not
to the opposing right half eager to trap it. If there is no
thoroughfare to outside left, he must pass to inside left or
centre forward.

Should he tackle outside right on his left side, a thing
he will not infrequently be called upon to do, he will find
the right-hand " cut " an invaluable stroke to employ. It
requires to be made with an iron wrist and great decision
if it is to be effective. A player who illustrates this stroke
with much eflficacy and frequency is A. H. Noble, England's
left half-back for the past few seasons. He runs alongside
his man until he sees an opportunity for cutting in with
his stick without seriously risking an illegal tackle. This
stroke is Noble's speciality, just as the " job " was Merton

IN PLAY— THE BACK DIVISION 109

Barker's, the left-hand lunge Alan Jenkins*, and that thrust
with the right hand H. S. Freeman's. And thinking of his
defensive duties, what a worrier the left half must be. He
must never give up, never relinquish the task of harassing
outside right, and, no matter how far in the rear, never
abandon the pursuit of him. Although he may be far
inferior to outside right in pace, the left half need never
despair of overtaking him, seeing that the latter is hampered
by having to control the ball, while there is always the
possibility of his blundering or overrunning it. So let him
persevere in his stern chase, always remembering to run on
his opponent's right in order that he may tackle him the
moment he overhauls him. And if this is at the eleventh
hour, just as outside right is about to shoot, it will be a case
of hooking sticks. If the stick is already uplifted, and the
forward swing about to be made, the left half must insert
his stick underneath so as to meet his opponent's stick in
its descent. This method of spoiling a shot or a centre is
as effective as it is irritating to the player against whom it
is employed. Should the wing forward vary the orthodox
run down and right-angle centre when opposite the circle
by leaving the touch-line and making a dash for the circle
itself, the left half must do the same. In the event of the
left half deciding that his opponent has gained too big a
start, and that pursuit down the touch-line is futile, he must
cut across and take the place of the left back, who will try
to check outside right. This latter player must not be
allowed to go unmolested in order that theory may be
satisfied. In any case the left halfs action will tend to
stiffen the defence, and if he is too late to intercept the
wing's centre, he may be in time to interfere with the actual
shooting. Never should a wing forward, or any forward,
indeed, be permitted to career along, his progress unarrested,
because he happens to have eluded the player immediately
responsible for him. Somebody must tackle that forward,
and that without delay. And the left half should ponder
this, for often it is his duty to tackle other forwards than the

no THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

wing. In some matches, possibly by reason of a weak left
back, he will find himself in conflict with inside right almost
as often as the wing. But even so his work will be easier
and pleasanter if it is grounded on the principle of keeping
near the touch-line. It will now and again chance that his
wing opponent is a player of unorthodox methods, of
nomadic but misguided habits — such are all too plentiful.
In these circumstances he must abandon his principles. To
sum up the left halfs defensive requirements, he should be
an adept at the right-hand " cut," the left-hand " lunge," and
the " reverse " stroke, quick with his feet and stick for
fielding purposes, an untiring worker, and a chronic worrier.
Some left halves employ the " job," and a clever and useful
stroke it is, but one that is native rather than acquired. It
is especially useful when the half is attempting to rob the
wing forward of the ball from the latter's left side. Or
there is that left-hand stroke used with such efficacy by
L. M. Robinson, and illustrated in this volume.

When in the performance of his attacking duties, the
left half must guard against hitting over the touch-line,
hitting too hard, and playing into the hands of the oppos-
ing right half-back. No fault that a left half can commit
is more annoying to his own side or to the spectators than
that of hitting the ball out of play over the touch-line.
Except in the direst of straits it is bad hockey. A left
half who does this intentionally, or thoughtlessly, when there
is a better alternative at hand, is a very poor player indeed.
Many courses are open to him in lieu of hitting over the
side line. If forced to act immediately with the ball on his
left, he can use the " reverse " stroke, or he may even play
the ball between his feet, having a care to it that in doing
so he is not guilty of obstruction. Then he can endeavour
to manoeuvre himself into the position that will enable the
regulation hit. Somehow or another he must keep the ball
in play in attack. The necessity challenges a player's
resourcefulness. And almost worse than the practice of
hitting over the touch-line is that of hitting over the goal-

IN PLAY— THE BACK DIVISION iii

line. When passing to the wing forward the left half must
see to it that the ball goes to that player's right hand. A
pass to the left side is very awkward to gather, besides
throwing outside left out of his stride. And, especially at
close quarters, it is possible to pass too hard. Passes, then,
must be at a proper angle, and not unduly fast. The worst
charge one can level at players is that they do not think.
And nothing is so indicative of want of thought as hitting
so that the ball goes to foe instead of friend. The left half
must be a thinker, and before hitting must locate that
watchful right half and avoid his clutches, and any other
player who may be in the intended line of fire.

No finer model of a left half-back could be held before
the eyes of young and ambitious players than F. C. Stocks
of Oxford, the South, and England. To watch him play
was to take a free and illuminating lesson in hockey in
general and in left half-back play in particular. Perhaps
he did not adhere so closely to the touch-line as the left
half is here admonished to do, — and in writing of him the
past tense is used because he has taken no prominent part
in the game these two years. But there was a touch of
genius about his play, and such a fact excuses a player from
the rules binding the common herd. Stocks fielded so
cleverly with stick, feet, and hands, and had such a gift of
anticipation, that his enterprising methods in no way partook
of folly. Young players could not have a better model,
with this reservation, that in so far as genius is concerned
it is dangerous to copy that.

Right Half

In many respects the right half is the right back over
again. A modification here, an exaggeration there, and
a few additions, and the former's game does not differ
greatly from the latter's. So those who wish to study right
half-back play should make a parallel study of right back
play. The right half will not operate so near the touch-

112 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

line as the left half. With so much of the game necessarily
to his left, he must, without dislocating the machinery of
his team, keep as far to that side as possible. And if
any one requires exactitude to the somewhat vague " as far
as possible," then the right half should seldom be to the
left of the opposing inside left, while he should never leave
more space on his right than he can conveniently and
quickly cover. So common is the failing of half-backs to
desert their post and follow the game, that teachers of
hockey must hammer in the need for greater self-restraint
in this respect, and for a stricter observance of the theory
of half-back play.

There is one circumstance, however, in which a half-
back is not to be censured for straying afield. When he —
the right half-back for example — tackles an inside forward,
and that forward commences a diversion to elude his
clutches, he must stick to him even if it takes him far from
his usual sphere. Generally speaking, it is a mistake to
break off in the middle of a movement and relinquish it to
some one else. A wise captain recognises this, and forbears
to rebuke a player for getting out of position in such
circumstances. Apart from these special circumstances, the
tendency of the right half still is to drift towards the centre.
This tendency is, of course, the outcome of a desire to have
more of the game to his right hand. Now the special
function of the right half is to mark the opposing outside left,
intercepting passes intended for him or tackling him when in
possession of the ball, and to feed his own right wing. By
drifting too far from the touch-line,' the right half makes it
much easier for inside left to get his passes out to his wing,
and leaves semi- marked the latter, possibly the speediest
player on the field. And if the right half is bitten with
this tendency to drift, he will fall an easy prey to the wiles
of an inside left who lays baits to lure him away to the centre,
in order that he may secure an easy opening for a pass and
a clear field for his wing. But he must distinguish between
what is intentional deception 'on the part of inside left and

IN PLAY— THE BACK DIVISION 113

the honest effort of this player to shake him off. Seeing
that inside left is the right back's special quarry, the right
half-back cannot be justly blamed if that player breaks
through the defence.

The pursuit of the wing forward is a simpler matter
for the right than the left half. No running round his
opponent, resulting in loss of time, is necessary for the
former. He is always on the assailable side of outside
left. Directly he gets within stick's reach of him, and before
he comes within his vision, the right half must lunge out
with his left hand or thrust out with his right and spoil his
opponent's centre, or disturb his run. And in sprinting
after this forward let the right half be on the look-out for
a device common to outside lefts. As the attacking player
nears his opponents' lines, and just as his pursuer is about
to overhaul him, he will suddenly stop dead, face towards
the centre of the ground, and hit the ball hard at right
angles to the touch-line. Unless the right half is expecting
this sudden halt, he overshoots his opponent, the latter thus
being given a clear way for his pass. If the right half does
not overshoot him, outside left will probably start dribbling
back towards his own goal. There is no fear of his turning
round on the ball, as in the old days. It is that final centre
to the edge of the circle, so often begetting a goal, which
the right half must make every effort to hinder. If outside
left has taken the ball down nearly to the goal-line, his hit-
in will generally be diagonal to the edge of the circle
opposite the goal. So if the right half has failed to run
him to earth, he may hang back on the chance of trapping
this centre. But should outside left avail himself of his un-
marked condition and make a dart for the circle, the right half
should be into him like a flash, because few shots are more
deadly than those made from an unexpected quarter and
at a sharp angle. A right half needs to be a very quick
player, because his chief business is with a player of quick
and uncompromising methods. Fortunately for right halves,
outside lefts who can make their centre while travelling at
8

114 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

top speed by means of a half turn of the body and a wrist
and forearm shot are few and far between.

To intercept passes from inside to outside left is, with

the aid of due watchfulness, comparatively easy. An

enterprising and intelligent right half, blessed with a good eye

and flexible wrists, will often convert a pass labelled " outside

left " into a pass for his own outside right, and that without

stopping the ball. No more difficult shot can be essayed

in hockey, but it is often well worth the trial and the risk.

Hitting the ball while it is in motion is not common enough

with halves and backs. They are too prone to stop, before

attempting to hit it. The right half is presented with more

opportunities than any one else of hitting the ball when it

is on the run. Let him meet it boldly with his stick-swing

in to meet it. Confidence is essential if success is to attend

the effort. J. N. Burns, among the very finest right halves

England has ever had, is an adept at this bold method of

playing the ball. His is a beautiful, free, cricket shot.

When pressed by his opponents, he does not stop the ball

and then endeavour to clear it, after the humdrum method

in vogue, but meets it full, no matter how fast it is coming,

and hits it, not somewhere in the direction of the opposite

goal, but with unerring aim to one of his own forwards,

thus performing at one and the same time the dual act of

defending and attacking. Such quickness is the essence

of successful defence, and this method of Burns's deserves

many imitators. But this method is not to be commended

in the case of a bumping ball or a rough ground.

The right halfs duties in attack are simple and clearly
defined. His prime duty is to sate outside right with
passes. Then any passes he has to spare he must give to
inside right. His judgment, however, must brood over
these duties and temper them according to the exigencies
of the game. Many a right half is so obsessed with the
idea that his office is to keep outside right in passes, that
in season and out of season he tries to get the ball to this
player. That the latter is carefully marked, that the

IN PLAY— THE BACK DIVISION 115

opposing left half is directly in the line of the ball and
bound to intercept the pass, that inside right is much better
placed for receiving a pass, is not at all suggestive to him
of the futility of hitting towards outside right, or of the
wisdom of hitting somewhere else. A little thinking and a
little looking before hitting, and this fault would be less
painfully present in the play of right half-backs — not that
it is the monopoly of this position. The right half who
takes in the situation at a glance will sometimes do wisely
to ignore his charges so far as to pass to the left wing
Not in every game, perhaps, but in many, each forward in
the line will receive a pass or passes from the stick of the
right half. It is essential that passes to outside right
should be so dispatched that he may take or overtake
them at top speed. And they must be hit along the
ground, in order that outside right may field them with his
stick. Undercutting, lifting, or chopping passes must be
avoided by the right half.

Almost as numerous as the right halves who overfeed
their wing forwards are the right halves who neglect them.
This neglect is generally due to the fact that it is easier, for
the majority of players at least, to hit from right to left
than the reverse. From right to left is the more natural
direction. And players do what is natural to them more
willingly and better than that which costs them more effort.
Strong wrists and a proper use of the forearms are necessary
for the hit from left to right. It is a cricket shot, a drive
to extra cover.

As outside right is in the team solely for purposes of
attack, and is, if he responds to the requirements of his.
position, aggressive and fleet of foot, the right half must
back him up continuously and closely, seldom being more
than 10 or 12 yards away in attack, and must keep on
sending him passes. He will not need to use the " push "
and " scoop " passes nearly so often as the centre half. His
passes will usually take the form of a clean, quick hit. And
let him remember that when his own inside forwards are in

Ii6 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

or near the circle his passes should, in ninety per cent,
of cases, be directed to them.

Players who, having the necessary qualifications, are in
search of a position which is at once easy and of brilliant
possibilities, cannot do better than settle down at right
half-back.

CHAPTER IX

INTERNATIONAL HOCKEY— A COMPARISON OF

STYLES

ALTHOUGH England's hockey supremacy has been
successfully challenged only once in the history of
International encounters, the honour of winning the
first International match ever played belongs, not to
England, but to Ireland, while the distinction of instituting
International matches is enjoyed by Wales. If the historian
would be a faithful annalist, he must admit, however
reluctantly, that England gave no encouragement to the
early desire of Wales for the institution of International
matches between the two countries. It was very different
in the case of Ireland, and when Wales broached the idea of
an International match to that country the idea received
all the warmth of an Irish welcome. The ground of
England's refusal to entertain the proposal of a match
with Wales was the weakness of Welsh hockey, and the
inevitable one-sided nature of an English-Welsh match.
Commenting on England's attitude towards a refusal of
the proposal of Wales, C. Connah, one of the moving spirits
of Welsh hockey, says : " Granting that we were too weak,
surely a match might have been arranged, if only for the
encouragement of the game ; and apparently no thought of
the disappointment this decision would give to the players
who were struggling so hard to give the game a footing in
Wales, crossed the mind of the English Association.
Looking at these facts, the refusal to give the struggling
Welsh players a helping hand was scarcely to the credit of

H7

ii8 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

the English Association, and a direct contrast to the way
the gallant Irishmen treated the innovation."

In no way discouraged by England's lack of sympathy,
Wales pluckily went forward, the fruit of their pluck and
enthusiasm being realised on January 25, 1895, when
Ireland were encountered at Rhyl, the birthplace of Welsh
hockey. The result of that match was a win for Ireland
by 3 goals to nil, the lightness of this defeat proving a
wonderful stimulus and encouragement to Welsh hockey.
That was how International hockey began its career. This
new departure infused fresh vitality, hope, and ambition into
'Welsh players, and each succeeding year witnessed a
definite improvement in their play. But as they improved
so did the Irish, and their supreme ambition of overcoming
the latter has not yet crystallised into fact.

It was not till three years later — in 1898, to be exact —
that England deigned to play Wales. The match took
place at Kersal, Manchester, England winning by 7 goals
to nothing. Strive as they have done, Wales have never
yet succeeded in overcoming England. The limit of their
success has so far been to get within 2 goals of a draw.
This occurred at Bath in 1908, When England, on a ground
decidedly inimical to their close and clever methods, won
by 4 goals to . 2. On this same ground once before
England were in danger of tarnishing their great reputation.
Wales dislike a mushy, muddy ground far less than do
England. The superiority of English over Welsh hockey
is great and undeniable.

It is only against Scotland that Wales have met with
definite success. They played them first in 1 903, winning
that year and the next, and drawing in 1905. Since then
Scotland have had the upper hand, but only just.

In point of pace and vigour, and qualities of pluck and
determination, the Welsh players compare favourably with
those of any other country. But they want for the super-
lative dash of the Irish and the Scotch, while in point of
cleverness and stick-craft they lag far behind the English.

A COMPARISON OF STYLES 119

The wonderful hand-to-hand combination which is the
proverb of Welsh Rugby football, is sadly missing from
Welsh hockey. Now and then, two or even three members
of the forward line will exhibit a familiarity with one
another's methods and an intimacy of combmation which
approximates nearly to the wonders of an English forward
line. But such excellence is rare and ephemeral. Welsh
forwards lack finish. They miss the finer points of forward
play, and fail to appreciate the scientific possibilities of the
game. Their hockey is good, remarkably improved during
the years of. the twentieth century which have already run
their course, but there is not that patent of nobility about
it which is so clearly stamped upon English hockey.
Individually their forwards are often capable of taxing the
best defence, — T. W. Pearson, of Rugby football fame, was
a forward of whom Wales were proud, dashing and, despite
his great pace, very clever at controlling the ball, — but
collectively the Welsh are crude performers beside an English
line. And it is the same with the half-backs. They
play keen, robust, sturdy hockey, are dauntless — they
would not be Welsh were they otherwise — ^and tireless
tacklers. Their passes, however, are the hits ' of backs
rather than the pushes of the English style. That finessing
and making of openings, that diagonal passing by means of
the wrist push and scoop, so salient a feature of Irish and
English — more especially English — half-back play, is seldom
an adornment of the play of Welsh halves. Isolated
instances there are, but nothing more, of Welsh players
who have attained to this effective and finished style of
play. As a whole, the half-back play is raw, and would
suffer by comparison with the half-back play of the
majority of English first-class counties. A like disabil'^-y
is found in the backs — they lack polish and resource. In
virile qualities they leave nothing to be desired. They hit
hard and cleanly, and tackle and spoil as well as may be,
but come short in the finer points of the game. Welsh
goal- keepers are a courageous race, and more than one

I20 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

International match has witnessed a period of Welsh
inspiration between the goal posts. And small wonder
that Welsh hockey is not on the same high plane as that
of England and Ireland, when the conditions surrounding
it are so little favourable to progress and development.
Clubs — that is, good clubs — are few and far between,
distances are great, while the ameliorating influence of
playing against first-class English clubs is denied to the
Welsh. Just as frequent encounters with Welsh Rugby
football has moulded the play of the leading West of
England Rugby football teams to the wonderful Welsh
pattern and raised it nearer to the Welsh standard, so
would inter-club hockey matches between the best English
and the leading Welsh clubs bring the play of the latter
nearer to the high English standard. Save for an
occasional visit of a team on tour, such as the old
Rossallians or Penfields (Staffs), Welsh players get no
opportunity of whetting their skill against that of first-class
English clubs. Welsh hockey is shut up to itself and
dependent upon itself. All the important lessons are
learned in International matches, when players are too busy
to pay much attention to lessons. In the interests of Welsh
hockey, and also as a medium of a very enjoyable holiday,
one or more of the crack English clubs might tour Wales
during, say, the Easter holidays.

The same year that saw Ireland defeat Wales in the
first International match ever played, also ushered in the
initial meeting of England and Ireland. This match took
place at Richmond, England winning by 5 goals to nil.
Save for a draw in 1898, the fourth year of these matches,
England kept on winning steadily down to 1904, when the
palm of supremacy was, not altogether unexpectedly but
only temporarily, snatched from their grasp. On their
native heath at Dublin, and led by W. M. Johnstone, the
most famous Irish player of all time, the wild Irishmen
beat England by 3 goals to 2. This match will remain
ever memorable in the annals of hockey, first for its thrill-

A COMPARISON OF STYLES 121

ing nature, and then for the unique fact that nine of the
Irish team were members of one club, to wit Palmerston,
and that five of these nine were members of one family,
to wit Peterson. The defeat of England was the ambition
the Irish had set before them, and had now successfully
realised after many years of eager striving. Since that
famous victory Irish hockey appears to have gone back.
But it must come again. Who that knows the national
characteristics can doubt it?

Scotland, the youngest of the four countries in hockey
experience, challenged England first in 1903. Save for a
drawn game at Glasgow in 1 904, when the visiting country
were poorly represented, England has always won, but in
hollow fashion only once — namely, m 1905, at Surbiton.
On that occasion England were irresistibly brilliant, and
piled up 9 goals, while their opponents drew a blank.

Ireland were before England with their International
match with Scotland, playing them first in 1902. Until
1907 Ireland enjoyed an easy superiority over the Scottish
players. But seven is a momentous number, and that
year the match, played on Scottish soil, resulted in a
draw.

So the order of the countries on results, and on merits,
is England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales. It may appear to
the cursor}' observer that Scotland's progress and develop-
ment have been more rapid and more marked than that of
Ireland and Wales. But Scotland started the game much
later, and it is obvious that progress is far more rapid in
the novitiate than in a later stage. Despite this qualifying
circumstance, however, there can be no denial of the
fact that Scotland's advance in the game has been quite
remarkable, and seems to rebut, to some extent at least, the
idea, at one time very prevalent, that hockey could be built
only on a foundation of cricket, because the Scotch, like
the Irish, are no great cricketers. To disarm any possible
resentment at this assertion, let me hasten to add, while
the Scotch, as a race, are not famed for their skill at

122 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

cricket, there are many individual Scotchmen, and Irishmen
too, who have earned renown on the cricket-field.

Having passed a criticism, not too ungenerous, I hope,
upon Welsh hockey, I will pass to a comparison of the
styles and play of the other countries.

Between England and Ireland a spirit of keenest rivalry
has always existed. The former, excepting the year 1904,
have always held the whip-hand. And why ? Because of
their superior hockey. And what are the elements which
form this superiority ? That is a question which the com-
parison of English and Irish styles will strive to answer.

The opinion of the vanquished, when sane and impartial,
is entitled to a specially respectful hearing ; and there can
be nothing but respect for the views, on the relative merits
of English and Irish styles, of so great a player and so
sound and just a judge of hockey form as W. M. Johnstone,
a player of possibly more International hockey experience
than any one in the world. His opinion, written expressly
for this chapter, is interesting and illuminating. He says :
" In comparing English with Irish hockey, one is faced with
two vastly different styles, just as one is in the case of
other games. Take, for example, Rugby football ! There
one sees an Irish team winning a match by loose forward
rushes, which completely demoralise and bring to nought
the scientific attack of their opponents. The irregular and
heterodox methods which may, and often do, prove effective
in Rugby football, are impotent in hockey, as the Irish
know to their undoing. The Irish style of playing hockey
is desultory, consisting as it does of wild individual forward
play — play which beats in vain upon the scientifically
equipped teams of England. Hockey is essentially a
scientific game, a fact which accounts for England's almost
uninterrupted supremacy over Ireland. I saw the Irish-
English match in Dublin in 1908, and though the ground
was in a terribly soft condition, the cohesion of the whole of
the English team and the perfect and practical understanding
which existed between each member was altogether admir-

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A COMPARISON OF STYLES 123

able and an outstanding feature of their play. It was not the
forward combination alone — though that made one tremble
for Ireland's chances — but the union of the whole team.
They played together as one man, and on several occasions
converted a hot Irish attack into a still hotter English one,
confirming the truth of the saying, * Attack is the strongest
form of defence.' One naturally asks why the Irishmen,
knowing the importance of scientific combination, do not
set themselves to acquire it. Well, my answer is, that
owing to bad grounds and wet climate it is almost im-
possible to do so. After all, we are human, like other
people, and so we adopt and develop a style of game which
pays best in Ireland, but is — and we are the first to admit
it — of an inferior quality to that played in England. I
think, too, that our national temperament, just as is the
case in cricket, must be held to some extent responsible for
our style of play. An Irishn an does not display that
careful patience which, speaking generally, is so character-
istic of the English. I had great hopes that we were
steadily improving our position year by year, and when, in
1903, we lost by only i goal at Surbiton, succeeded the
next year by a win in Dublin, that we had reached the
summit of our ambitions, and could now put ourselves on
an equality with England. Alas ! these hopes have not
been realised, as subsequent results clearly show ; but
without being thought over-optimistic, I believe that we
will ere long assume the honourable position we more or
less forfeited in 1907, 1908, and at the Olympic Games,
and that these lean years will give place to years of plenty,
and that we shall not have to wait the prescribed period of
scriptural patience."

Ever since the inauguration of International matches
between England and Ireland, the same difference in styles
has existed, and this although the English style has been
completely transformed since that far-off first match at
Richmond in 1895. I" those days combination did not
centralise. The centre forward was an isolated figure, a

124 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

unit, a player of individual parts, and the wings hunted
in couples. And who that can recall the skill of the
Westrays as a wing combination can doubt the effective-
ness of this method? But it gave way to a better, and
one that was more expedient. Whichever the particular
method, however, combination, a scientific and premeditated
combination, has always been, in more or less degree, the
keynote of the English style, just as individual effort and
reliance on personal brilliancy and dash have formed the
chief part of the Irish game. So far as forward play is
concerned, the Irish readily yield the palm to England, but
not so in half-back play, in which department they claim
to have had players fully the equal of England's best. On
this subject W. M. Johnstone writes : " In spite of what
£nglish critics say, I hold that R. F. M. Clifford, early
associated with Irish hockey, was the equal of any half-
back produced by England, such as Merton Barker and
E. W. Page. With Clifford I would couple S. C. D.
Harrison, the finest right half that ever donned a green
jersey. Did Ireland possess such players now, the margin
of victory in England's favour would not be what it is."
There was a cleanness, a finish, and a dexterity about the
play of the Irish half-backs mentioned above that is all too
rare nowadays. There was all the necessary delicacy about
their play, but none of the effeminacy, or something very
like it, with which not a little modem half-back play seems
to be touched. It was a splendidly robust type of game,
the game of those Irish halves of a past generation.

It is natural enough that Ireland should produce backs
to bear comparison with the best in the world. The
slashing, hard hitting, and enterprise possible, and often
necessary for a back, appeal to the Irish temperament.
W. B. Dobbs, O'Connor, and the Petersons form a quart-
ette of backs hard to beat. But the Irish backs err on
the side of over-severity in their hitting. The grounds on
which they play, heavy or rough, or both, and the general
style of play adopted in Ireland, must be held responsible

A COMPARISON OF STYLES 125

for this, and the indifferent umpiring. Irish backs hit too
hard to be as useful to their forwards as they should be,
and as English backs are. Pace on the ball seems to be
their main objective, although O'Connor must be excepted
from this indictment ; he was a beautiful hitter, and never
a slogger. " Hit hard and hope for the best " is, one
imagines, the principle on which the Irish backs model
their play. Self-restraint is not a feature of Irish back
play. And just as the Irish are more individual, more
daring and more piratical in their back and forward play,
so is it with their goal-keeping. An Irish goal-keeper —
judging, that is, from the player seen most often in England
and Wales, namely, E. P. C. Holmes of Cliftonville, Belfast —
takes delightful risks, runs out of, not only the goal, but
also the circle, to meet an oncoming forward. Such a
daring procedure is seldom seen in England. I have seen
Holmes, a picturesque figure in his white flannel trousers
and stocking cap, take the ball past the 2 5 -yards flag
before relinquishing it to one of his confreres, and this
daring, almost impudence, in an International match !

Scotland are in very different case from the other
countries. Hockey — that is, modern hockey — is a com-
paratively new game to the Scotch, so new indeed that
their International experience of the game dates only from
the second year of the twentieth century. So their hockey
style and reputation are yet to build. Their ranks are not
fed from the public schools and Universities, as in England
and Ireland, because the Scottish schools devote their
winter energies almost entirely to football, and only here
and there to hockey, and then in but a mild way, while to
undergraduates of the Universities the game has not yet
appealed at all strongly. And then Scottish affections are
given so loyally and so naturally to golf, that hockey can
win its way only by forced marches. Hitherto the game
has drawn its recruits chiefly from those who are the
flotsam, as it were, of other sports, players who, having
perhaps earned distinction on other fields, and having lost

126 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

the keen edge of their skill and enthusiasm, turn to hockey
for consolation and an outlet for their athletic energy. But
hockey is worthy the very best a country can give it, and
there are signs that the Scotch are beginning to realise this.

The play of the Scottish International teams is far
more like that of the Irish than of the English. The style
of the last-named is the growth of long years, a national
style which it has taken decade on decade to produce.
The Scotch have made extraordinary progress, and they
are quick to learn, but hitherto their guide has been the
light of nature rather than any clearly defined and scientific
ideal. They do better against England than against
Ireland. They cannot play the Irishmen at their own
game, although they try to, while they do not attempt to
play the Englishmen at a game which is outside their
capacity. Their dash is grand, of the sort that sweeps
opponents off their feet, and where the players are on the
right side of thirty their pace and quickness tremendous.
In the race after England and Ireland they have out-
distanced Wales. Their aptitude for the game is decided,
and if the conditions of the game were more like those
obtaining in England, they would soon come nearer to
the latter in style and proficiency than even the Irish.
Temperament plays so important a part in games, that
almost prophetic remarks may be risked with no other
data thai! a knowledge of this circumstance. Thus the
caution and mental sobriety of the Scotch are far more
likely to lead to a methodical and scientific style of play
than is Irish impetuosity.

And the Scotch have left their beginnings far behind,
and already their game has taken on an orderliness and
method quite English.

CHAPTER X
UNIVERSITY HOCKEY

By L. M. and J. Y. Robinson
Oxford

HOCKEY at Oxford may be justly termed a new
game, but its newness does not prevent its being
an exceedingly popular form of Oxford sport, and
undoubtedly the game has come to stay. Whereas a few
years ago men up at the University played hockey for
exercise or merely as a " by-game " apart from their chief
form of sport, at the present time hockey is undoubtedly
specialised in. The fascination which exists in hitting a
hard ball with a bent stick, the great pace of the game,
and above all the increasing skill which each year accrues
to it, appeals to the sporting instincts. It is not now played
as a game which in some slight measure supplies the joys
of football when the latter is no longer possible ; it is played
for its own intrinsic worth, and we of Oxford worship our
God of Hockey as zealously as do the devotees of any other
winter sport.

Hockey was started at Oxford in 1890 in quite an
unofficial manner. The Parks, the home of so many
games, welcomed a small band of eager players who
doubtless indulged in the delight of slogging a cricket
ball in the wildest manner, irrespective of whom the ball
would finally reach. But so great was their enthusiasm,

and, evidently, so marked their skill, that in this initial

127

128 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

season they accepted the challenge of Cambridge to battle.
There seems to have been some difficulty in finding eleven
men to play, although the match was played at home, but
no difficulty at all in defeating their rivals; for Oxford
claimed a meritorious victory by 2 goals to i. One can
imagine the curious concourse of spectators, the zest of
players, and the extraordinary enthusiasm of the victors.
The fillip of this " famous victory " to Oxford hockey was
at once apparent The O.U.H.C. was founded, elected
officers, received subscriptions, and proceeded on the even
tenor of its way, not always victoriously, it is true, but
ever more prosperous.

At the present time we have five grounds in the Parks
at Oxford, which were originally intended for the members
of the Club, and are still used by them to a certain extent.
But the enormous growth of the game has necessitated
the providing of a ground for each college, and consequently
the members of the University Club are greatly diminished.
Of the more prominent of the colleges may be mentioned
Balliol, Magdalen, Keble, University, Trinity, and Exeter.
The League system is not in vogue at Oxford, but during
the latter half of the season the colleges compete fiercely
for premier position. Of late years, Oriel, Trinity, University,
and Magdalen have won this position. The all-round clever-
ness of the best college teams is a remarkable feature at
the University, and makes the choice of the University team
each year a matter of increasing difficulty.

The Inter-University match is naturally keenly contested,
and the margin of victory never very large. When one
side obtains the lead, the nervous apprehension of forfeiting
it will act as a drag upon its attacking skill, and instead of
aggressive tactics the players will concentrate their energies
upon preventing their opponents from filching their lead.
The victories seem to run in batches, Oxford winning for
several consecutive years, and then the tide of fortune
running for Cambridge.

The Oxford University Occasionals Hockey Club

.. M. AND J. Y. ROBINSON-FAMOUS HOCKEY TWINS, AND JOINT AUTHORS

OF CHAPTER X

UNIVERSITY HOCKEY 129

deserves mention. The object of the Club is the re-
warding of those players of more than average ability
but whose skill is not of sufficiently high order to win
them a place in the University team, although all those
who do get their " half-blue " are given their " Occasionals "
too. The Club thus gives additional interest to the game
by increasing the keenness of college matches. The
Occasionals also arrange fixtures with outside clubs ; the
annual tour in the North being a special feature, carrying
the University style through the country.

As to prominent players who have left their mark on
Oxford hockey, A. L. Smith deserves first mention as the
father of Oxford University hockey. He is now Senior
Treasurer of the O.U.H.C., and all honour is due to him
for his untiring efforts in that office, of which his tenure
has lasted fourteen years. The late Honorary Secretary
of the Hockey Association, H. M. Tennent, is an old
Oxonian. He is the life and soul of the Occasionals
Club, and his wonderful powers of organisation, and his
unflagging interest in the Club and all its affairs, are
mainly responsible for its honourable position and con-
tinued prosperity. His personality and skill as a player
raised the O.U.H.C. to splendid efficiency during his term
j{ office. It was during his caj)taincy of the Oxford team
that the University was awarded the " half-blue."

It seems almost superfluous to mention the famous
family of Stocks, who have left their mark on both Oxford
and English hockey, three of their number having played
for Oxford against Cambridge. Their fame is world-wide.
A. L. F. Smith is another famous Oxonian who played
for England at centre forward. At his best he played a
wonderful game, and was capable of winning a match off
his own stick. Then there is C. S. Hurst, the Captain of
the team in 1907—8, a fine, fearless player, possessed of
the most perfect hockey style, and certain to win the
highest honours. Many another famous player could be
mentioned whose skill and clean hockey have helped to
9

I30 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

build up the prestige which Oxford University enjoys in
the ever-growing world of hockey.

Cambridge

Hockey has been played at Cambridge for twenty-five
years, and is now established as one of the principal games
of the University. It is the newest of the chief games, and
stands high in University favour, although its popularity
cannot be compared with that of football and cricket.

Under the auspices of the University Club, a League
has been formed with three divisions, in which twenty-one
teams take part during the Lent term. Every college has
a team, some more than one, while all the colleges save
two belong to the League. The League is mainly re-
sponsible for the dominance of hockey in the Lent term.
Although played in the winter term, hockey is regarded as
little more than 3. pis alter before Christmas. In addition
to the college teams, there are various clubs, not directly
connected with the colleges, which are well supported.

In common with other games, hockey started its
University career in a humble way. It was introduced
in 1883 by some members of Trinity College who played
the game among themselves. Clare followed, and these
two colleges engaged one another in casual matches. By
degrees other colleges took it up, and interest increasing,
the standard of play rose, and in a few years matches were
arranged with some of the London clubs.

It was in 1890 that the University Club was first
formed with a view to arranging an annual match with
Oxford.

The first Inter-University match was played this year
at Oxford, and resulted in a win for the home team.

The Cambridge colours at this time were red and green ;
blue was not yet worn, since the game was not recognised
by the Blues Committee.

Of the first four matches played, two were decided at

UNIVERSITY HOCKEY 131

Oxford and two in London, and in each case Oxford proved
victorious.

In the early days of the game at Cambridge, the grounds
were bad, and improvement in the play consequently re-
tarded; but with the improvement in the grounds came
corresponding improvement in the play, and in 1894 the
standard of University hockey was considered high enough
by the Blues Committee to warrant the granting of the ** half-
blue." From that concession the fortunes of the game at
Cambridge mounted. The recognition of the game's merit
was not enjoyed by Oxford, and the stimulus of a " half-
blue " proved so effective in the case of Cambridge, that
after drawing the matches of '95 and '96 they carried all
before them till 1 900, when the belated honour of the " half-
blue " was granted also to Oxford. Curiously enough, this
stimulated the Oxonians in like manner, and for half a
dozen years Cambridge were forced to play second fiddle.
Then came three successive years of victory for Cam-
bridge, and in 1 908 a full "blue" was granted to
Cambridge.

It is remarkable how the results have been influenced
by official encouragement given to the game — a fact which
would seem to justify the honours bestowed. Although
the full " blue " has not yet been granted at Oxford, there is
every hope that it will come within the next few years.
Cambridge themselves are every whit as anxious for this as
Oxford, since the interest and importance attaching to the
University match are enhanced if the teams are on equal
footing, while, indirectly, every recognition of the game's
merit wherever given, and especially if given at Oxford,
would help forward the game at Cambridge.

Although Cambridge have produced -many fine players
in the past, chief among them Ebden, Home, and Raynor,
Internationals all, it is only since about 1905 that Cam-
bridge hockey has come prominently to the front. In
1906 five of the University team played in the Southern
trial match, while the following year the same number

132 THE CX)MPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

were invited to take part. The University team of 1908
was generally considered the best combination in the
country. True, they were beaten by Hampstead, but
this was merely the luck of the game, and not any
superiority on the part of their opponents. Among their
victims that year were such powerful clubs as Southgate,
Northampton, and Blackheath. In all they registered the
enormous total of 147 goals. The chief factors in their
success were H. J. Goodwin, E. F. Edge Partington, J. F.
Ireland, and A. F. Leighton.

No account of Cambridge hockey would be complete
without mention of H. G. Comber, who was associated with
the novitiate days of the game, being Captain of the
University in 1893 ^md 1894, the latter year being the
occasion of the granting of the " half-blue." He was again
Captain a few years later, under exceptional circumstances,
when none of -the previous year's team were able to play.
He has held for many years the office of Honorary
Treasurer of the C.U.H.C. He has guided the Club suc-
cessfully through times of stress and difficulty. His able
finance has set it upon a firm basis, while his personality
and his position in the University have greatly contributed
to the promotion and popularity of hockey at Cambridge.
To him more than to any other single individual is due
the honourable position which the game occupies among
the sports of Cambridge.

The Schools and the 'Varsity Style

The hockey style obtaining at the Universities is dis-
tinctive, and unlike that of the great majority of other clubs.
The reason is not far to seek. It is only within the last
few years that this particular style has developed, and it is
without doubt due to the increasing popularity of hockey
at the public schools. Till now Marlborough has been the
leading hockey school, and it would not be inaccurate
to say that the style of Marlburians is still distinctly

UNIVERSITY HOCKEY 133

recognisable on the hockey-field. A. M. Horsfall of Oxford
and J. F. Ireland of Cambridge are typical examples. It
is a neater and more finished style than others. There are,
of course, other schools where hockey has been played for
many years, notably Rossall ; but there the game is quite
different, and consists chiefly in dribbling and combined
rushes in such a way as to exclude the finer points of the
game. Uppingham and Felsted have also produced several
well-known 'Varsity players, such as C. S. Hurst, C. C.
Mountfort, and J. L. Beaumont, but it can hardly be
claimed that the standard of hockey is quite so high at
these schools as at Marlborough. Marlburian players have
been prominent in 'Varsity teams ever since the game was
started, and in the last few years at any rate they have
formed on an average half of both 'Varsity sides. As in
Association football it is almost impossible for an amateur
to get sufficient control of the feet to be a skilful player
unless he learn the game at a public school, so in hockey,
unless one has learnt as a boy to control the stick, one
cannot have complete mastery over the ball. Moreover, in
a school where a game is young, the same skill is not
attained as in a school where it has been played for some
years, since the standard of play throughout the school
rises as the game grows older, and boys learn more from
each other than from the best coaches. Now, the game
was played at Marlborough before it was taken up at the
'Varsities, and therefore it is natural to find Marlburians
occupying so prominent a place in 'Varsity teams. Doubt-
less, as the game grows older in other schools, a like standard
will be reached ; and the prospect of hockey is .bright at
the Universities for this reason, since the standard is likely
to be far higher when the captain has many schools to
draw from. Hitherto many have found places in 'Varsity
teams, and even captained them, who never got into the
Marlborough team ; and it is probable that in some years
Marlborough could have beaten the 'Varsity teams. But
this will not be the case in the future, owing to the fact

134 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

that hockey is being so widely taken up in the public
schools. Marlborough, Rossall, Uppingham, and Felsted
have been mentioned as the most prominent: Hailebury,
Cheltenham, Wellington, Malvern, and Repton among
others have taken to it lately. The Oxford Occasionals
and the Cambridge Wanderers — clubs composed of the best
University players — do their utmost to encourage the game
among the public schools by sending good teams to play
them ; and the greater the number of schools, the higher
the standard of hockey will be, not only in the 'Varsities,
but all over England.

The style, then, which originated chiefly at Marlborough,
and has been carried to a higher pitch at the 'Varsities, is
one in which the stick is used to the exclusion of hand and
foot. So far it was carried by the best players of the
public schools ; the 'Varsity players, with more experience,
developed the principle. The stick alone is used by every
member of the side except the goal-keeper, since in the
hockey of to-day there is no time to use hand or foot, and
with practice as much certainty, and far more skill, can be
obtained with the stick as with the hand. When the ball
is bumping, the straight part of the stick is used, and not the
curved part For ordinary purposes the stick is held in
both hands, but for intercepting passes one obtains a far
longer reach by transferring it into the right or left hand, as
the case may be. For stopping balls which rise, the stick
is used rather than the hand for two reasons : first, because
a longer reach can be thus obtained, and secondly, because
one has no time as a rule to use the hand.

Two strokes, known as " the shove " and " the scoop,"
are seen more at the 'Varsities than elsewhere. The shove
stroke has three advantages over the ordinary hit. It does
not take so long to make, since the stick need not be lifted
at all; it is far more difficult to intercept, because the
opposing side cannot easily tell where the ball will go ; and
it is far easier for the person for whom it is intended to
take it, partly because it can be placed more accurately, and

TO STOP A liUMPINd BALL

UNIVERSITY HOCKEY 135

partly because it comes to him at a convenient and uniform
rate. The scoop stroke, to which many objections have
been made, but which has now been expressly legalised, is
very much akin to the shove stroke, but raises the ball by
means of a flick of the wrists. It is even more difficult to
intercept than the shove stroke, and a half can sometimes
lift it over the opponents' heads and drop it at the feet of
one of his forwards. He can even, when running towards
his own goal, " scoop " it past a pursuer to his own forwards
by turning the stick round the ball. The universal use of
the stick and these two strokes chiefly distinguish 'Varsity
hockey from that of other clubs.

As to the methods of 'Varsity hockey, they are as
follows : — The forwards make use of what is known as the
"short-passing game." There is very little individual
dribbling, but the ball is passed to and fro quickly ; often
the three inside forwards go down the field without passing
it at all to the outsides. This style of play has been
adopted perhaps more by Cambridge than by Oxford.
H. J. Goodwin is a very able exponent of it. It is, however,
liable to abuse. It may result in dallying with the ball
without any ground being made, and chances have been
missed by passing backwards and forwards where a rush
perhaps would have resulted in a goal. The other abuse to
which it may lead is that of neglecting the wings, thus
losing half the power of attack, and at the same time
cramping the game and making it easier for the opposing
defence to intercept the passes. But these two abuses are
not necessary consequences of the short-passing game. The
outsides may and should be used, and the game be kept
open, while the attack is varied sometimes by an individual
dribble, sometimes by a series of short passes. The advan-
tage that the short-passing game has over the dribbling
game is that it is far more difficult to stop. The halves and
backs, by a method which will be described later, can
always stop a dribbler, but they cannot be sure of inter-
cepting short passes. It may fairly be claimed that the

136 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

short-passing game has been carried sometimes to excess
by the 'Varsities, but the principle is right, and if occa-
sionally varied by dribbling, it cannot fail to be the most
effective mode of attack.

The short-passing game, then, is the most prominent
feature of the attack. The methods of the defence are
perhaps still more unlike those of other clubs. They
have been practised and brought to the front during
only the last three years. The principle shortly is this:
the two backs and three halves form one line to oppose the
five forwards ; each marks a particular man, the backs the
two inside forwards, and the halves the centre and outsides,
and each concerns himself only with his own particular
forward. To ensure the success of this method it is neces-
sary for all the defence to be fast. They can then go as
far up the field as they choose, keeping as far as possible in
one line. The halves do not follow closely behind their
forwards ; it is sufficient to keep just in front of or close to
the men they are marking. It is useless to go up farther,
since no good player hits without passing to one of his own
men ; consequently, if the halves were close up behind their
own forwards, they would leave the opposing forwards un-
marked, whereas if they keep a few yards in front of or at
the side of the forwards they are marking, a pass can be
intercepted and sent up again at once. In the case of the
backs it is useless to hang back, since if they do the two
inside men are always unmarked. They must remain close
to the men they are marking : then the opposing halves will
find it difficult to pass to any of their forwards — the ball will
be intercepted ; if they hit in front, the defence, if reason-
ably fast, can easily overtake a forward who is hindered
with the ball. The one essential, then, for a defence under
this system is quickness — quickness of stick to intercept
passes and send the ball up again at once, and quickness of
foot to overtake a forward, should he break through. For
the forwards quickness of foot is not so necessary, for they
can scarcely hope, when impeded by the ball, to outpace the

UNIVERSITY HOCKEY 137

defence, and they rely nnainly upon passing and upon vary-
ing methods of attack.

The most difficult point in this system has been found
to be that of dealing with an opposing half who dribbles up
and tries to draw the defence away from one of the forwards
they are marking. If he succeeds in doing so, the system
fails ; therefore it is best foi a half not to leave his man
unless he is absolutely certain of getting the ball, but for
one of the forwards to tackle back and force the opposing
half to pass. Forwards as a rule are not eager to do so,
but in the 'Varsities it is possible, since they are always in
good training.

As to the individual methods of defence, a man rarely
rushes at an advancing forward. It has been found more
profitable to wait for him to make an indiscreet move. The
half or back therefore retreats with him, never letting him
get past, until the forward either passes, or in attempting to
dribble past hits the ball too far in front, and puts it in the
power of the half. The forward cannot therefore dribble
past, while, if he passes, his pass is intercepted either by the
half who is marking him, or the back or half who is marking
the person to whom he passes. The defence always, has
this advantage over a forward, that a forward must keep
his place, while a half or back can always place himself
between the forward and the ball. He should therefore
always be able to intercept a pass.

These, then, are the main characteristics of the 'Varsity
style, which has made such progress of late years — a progress
which has been so great that for several seasons the two
* Varsities combined have been equal to the pick of the rest
of the South.

CHAPTER XI
HOCKEY IN OTHER LANDS

By Philip Collins

THE title of this chapter is a fairly comprehensive one,
and it may be as well to commence by enumerating
the countries outside the United Kingdom in which
hockey is played.

The game is played in France, Germany, Denmark,
Holland, and Belgium of the European countries ; in India
it is immensely popular ; in Western Australia, New South
Wales, and New Zealand it is spreading ; while the Transvaal
are taking to the game as keenly as they have taken to
cricket.

In Canada there are two sorts of hockey ^^lyed — ice
hockey and field hockey ; the former hardly coming within
the province of this book, the latter (quite in its infancy)
being practically hockey as played in England. The game
is popular amongst Englishmen resident in Egypt, while it
has now spread to Turkey, being played in Constantinople
at the English High School there. Before going into
fuller details in connection with the Continental countries,
it should be mentioned that in addition to Ireland, Scotland,
and Wales, the Channel Islands, where there are several
strong clubs, are included under the head of the United
Kingdom, as also is the Isle of Man, in which there are a
few clubs.

Dealing first with France, the game was introduced

there in 1897 by Mr. E. P. Denny, who, as Principal

138

HOCKEY IN OTHER LANDS 139

of the Anglo-Saxon School, thought it would be an
excellent game for his pupils.

In Paris itself the game rapidly became popular, and in
April 1898 the Union des Soci^t^s Frangaises de Sports
Athletiques, which controls every amateur sport in the
country, formed a special Committee to look after the
interests of hockey. It was not until after Easter 1899
that a match against an English team was played, but from
that time onwards two or more teams have visited Paris
practically every year, and French teams have frequently
made short tours in England.

There are about twenty clubs affiliated to the
U.S.F.S.A., which organises series of district and national
championships and various cup competitions. The
principal clubs in Paris are the Racing Club de France,
the Club Athletique International, and the Sporting Club
Universitaire de France. Outside Paris there are clubs
at Roubaix, Le Havre, Lille, St. Servan, Rheims, and
Lyons.

With regard to the game itself, in France the players
are very greatly handicapped by the absolute impossibility
of finding level grounds : a " hit and rush " style of play is
therefore indulged in, which, while effective on bumpy
grounds, when tried against the scientific methods of
English teams on our level turf is of very little use. Some
of the more prominent French players have made short
stays in England, and played the game near London.

Judging by the great improvement they have shown
after short experience of the game on level grounds, the
ruling body in Paris would be very well advised if they
made strenuous efforts to improve the quality of their
grounds. The obstacle in the way of this is the cost,
since hockey matches do not draw the same gates in Paris
as the football matches do, so that, while some of the
leading football clubs have stretches of turf that many of
our clubs would be proud of, the hockey players have to be
content with fields which have not been properly laid down,

I40 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

but merely rolled out as level as possible, and as a general
rule this does not mean much.

Germany started playing hockey two years later than
France, namely in 1899, although bandy had been played
there much earlier.

During the winter months the continued frosts render
the game impossible, and skating and ice hockey claim the
attention of every one. In the spring of the year mentioned
above, it occurred to some devotees of ice hockey that,
when the ice had gone, they might continue their game on
grass, and this they accordingly proceeded to do. A few
of their players had already, during visits to England,
learnt something of the rudiments of the game, and when
once started in Hamburg, it speedily became popular.

The members of the Uhlenhorster Hockey Club of that
city can rightly claim to be the pioneers of the gaftie in
Germany. This club was founded in 1901, and soon
afterwards started their Easter Hockey Weeks, which arc
now an established institution. Two good club teams from
England and one from France are usually invited to go
over and play a series of games with the teams of two or
three of the leading German clubs which visit Hamburg for
this purpose. These annual meetings have done a vast
amount of good for the game in Germany, and have
resulted in a very rapid improvement in the standard of
play. This was clearly shown by the performance of the
Uhlenhorster Hockey Club team under the captaincy of
Herr A. Brehm, that visited London for the Olympic
Games of 1908, and were only beaten by Scotland by
3 goals to nil, while they defeated France by i goal to
nil. In Herr H. B. Nilsen, the President of the club,
they have a thorough enthusiast, who, in addition to being
one of its founders and first players, is still one of its
keenest supporters. Thanks chiefly to their annual Easter
meetings and the lessons learnt at them, the Germans have
a somewhat better idea of the English combined method of
play than the Frenchmen, though it is true they are still

HOCKEY IN OTHER LANDS 141

much handicapped by the difficulty of finding really level
grounds.

Their principal clubs, besides the Uhlenhorster, are the
Berliner, Harvestehuder, Eilbecke, and Bremen Clubs,
while in all there are about fifty or sixty clubs in the
country. As yet they have no recognised governing body,
but, with the game spreading as it undoubtedly is, the
foundation of one is only a matter of time. They play
under the rules of the game, for the time being, authorised
by the Hockey Association ; cup competitions are allowed,
the three chief ones being those promoted by the clubs of
Hamburg, Berlin, and Frankfurt.

A very encouraging feature is the number of spectators
that their club matches attract, as many as three hundred
being a fair attendance — which number, it may be remarked,
compares very favourably with the numbers seen at a good
club game in England. It should also be mentioned that
the spectators are of the right sort, all enthusiasts who
take a keen interest in every point and feature of the game.

A Berlin Hockey Association has just been formed,
and though at present it controls only the actual clubs in
Berlin and the neighbourhood, its power will no doubt
increase. It has approached the Hockey Association with
a view to entering into some sort of agreement on the
question of rules, etc., as that now in existence between
the Hockey Association and the Union des Societ^s
Frangaises de Sports Athl^tiques.

The next Continental country to be dealt with is
Denmark The players of Denmark can claim that they
have authentic evidence of their country being probably
one of the first to play the game of hockey — in the old altar
pot referred to and illustrated in the historical chapter of
this book. The game of modern hockey was only actually
started in Copenhagen in 1900, but since that date it has
spread slowly though surely.

In the summer of 1908 it was decided to form a
governing body to take control of the game, which had

142 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

hitherto been played under English rules. There are at
present about fifteen clubs affiliated to the Danish Hockey
Association. The rules of the game have been carefully
translated into Danish, and the players over there are now
trying to arrange for annual Easter Weeks, from which
no doubt they will learn a great deal, and improve their
methods of play, in the same way that their German
neighbours have done.

The principal clubs are the Copenhagen, the Orient,
the Rungsted, the Frederica, the Elsinore, and the Haste
Hotkey Clubs.

A cup competition is recognised by the Danish Hockey
Association, and the attendance of spectators at matches
reaches as much as four hundred. The Association takes
the very wise precaution of remaining an entirely amateur
body, quite distinct from any football or other sports
organisation.

Hockey has been played in tde Netherlands, or Holland,
since 1890, but the game is not the same as that played in
England. The rules are practically identical, except in two
points, namely, the kind of ball used, and the fact that it
may be hit with either side of the stick. The ball used is
considerably larger than a hockey ball, and is made of rather
thick rubber, hollow, not solid. Several attempts have been
made to persuade the Dutchmen to alter their rules in these
two respects, but without any effect, so that no International
matches between Holland and England can be played.

In 1898 the Netherlands Hockey and Bandy Associa-
tion was formed, and there are affiliated to it something
over thirty clubs. These clubs play a League competition
amongst themselves, the six leading ones being the
Amsterdam, Haarlem, Rotterdam, and Hilversum Hockey
Clubs, and the Haagsche Hockey Vereeniging and Haagsche
en Bandy Club, O.D.I.S. The game is certainly spreading,
although large gates are not yet obtained at any matches.

It was early in 1900 that hockey was first introduced
into Belgfium, and for the next five or six years it was

HOCKEY IN OTHER LANDS 143

played there under Dutch rules ; then English teams began
to tour the country, and eventually the Brussels Hockey
Club took the initiative and adopted English rules. Since
then the game has made very fair progress, though, as the
Belgians are not as a nation particularly fond of strenuous
exercise, its spread has not, perhaps, been quite as rapid as
might be wished. Antwerp has the Beershot Athletic Club,
with a membership of nearly fifty players, and every year it
holds an Easter Hockey Week, in which Dutch, German,
French, and Belgian teams take part. English teams also
visit the city, but do not actually take part in its competition.
There are two clubs in Brussels, the Brussels Hockey Club,
and one at Bruges, while one or two others have recently
been formed in outlying districts.

It is a good sign that one of the schools near Brussels
is starting the game.

Austria, though keenly devoted to Association football,
does not appear to have taken up hockey to any great
extent. There are, however, one or two clubs in the
country who play occasional matches with some of the
South German clubs.

Turning to the Colonies — in the Empire of India the
game is on a very different footing from elsewhere. There
is no Indian Hockey Association or anything of that kind,
though a very large number of tournaments are held every
year in different parts of the country.

It is said that there are altogether nearly two thousand
hockey teams, but though some of them play quite a good
class of hockey, their reputation is entirely local, and it is
impossible to name any team as being the best. An All
Indian Hockey Tournament is held every year at Allahabad,
which attracts a large entry ; and there are also tournaments
in each Province, besides inter-regimental competitions
and a Native Army Tournament. The rules of the game
recognised by the Hockey Association are those observed,
and any points in dispute as to their interpretation are
referred to that body.

144 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

The natives are exceedingly keen on the game and
very quick on their feet, but, owing to the fact that there is
no organising body, it has not yet been possible to send a
team to play in England. There is, however, some prospect
of an Indian Hockey Association being formed beiore
long, and it will not be surprising if an attempt is then
made to arrange for the visit of an Indian team to
England.

Hockey in West Australia is of very recent origin, but
there are now five or six clubs in the colony, and a very
fair team could be picked from them. The chief difficulty
is the eternal g^round question : they have only two level
grounds, one at Perth, and the other on the Fremantle
Oval, and great keenness is displayed in the various matches
played at these places. It is hockey under difficulties, but
the enthusiasm of the players and the spirit in which the
game is played speak well for its future in that part of the
world.

Although hockey has been played spasmodically in New
South Wales for some years, it was not until 1905 that it
can be said to have definitely taken root. In that year
Mr. Rabett and a few other enthusiasts founded the
Corinthian Hockey Club. The formation of this Club was
quickly followed by that of the Barbarians, the Pilgrims,
and the Sydney Grammar School (past and present)
Hockey Clubs.

By the commencement of 1 907 these clubs were putting
two, and in some cases three, teams each in the field, while
several new clubs sprang into existence. The result of this
was that, in July 1907, a meeting was held at Sydney under
the chairmanship of Mr. A. M. Hemsley (an old Middlesex
player) at which the New South Wales Hockey Association
was formed. An Association so young as this cannot, of
course, have much history, but it may be mentioned that
its rules, so far as cup competitions and amateurs are con-
cerned, are based on those of the Hockey Association, and
there is every sign of its becoming before long a very

HOCKEY IN OTHER LANDS 145

powerful body in connection with amateur sport in the
colony.

The New Zealand Hockey Association, with its head-
quarters at Christchurch, is a comparatively recently formed
body^ but is doing much towards furthering the interests of
the game. There is also a Ladies' Hockey Association
with headquarters at Wellington. Owing to their isolated
position, the hockey players of New Zealand h^ve had no
chance of showing their worth against any outside teams,
though strenuous efforts have more than once been made to
induce an English team to undertake a tv ur there. Up to
the present the distance and expense have made this im-
possible, but no doubt in years to come such a tour will be
undertaken. It will give an immense impetus to the game
both in New Zealand and in the Australian provinces, which
could be visited at the same time.

Having now dealt with Australia, it is time to consider
the position of the game in South Africa. Hockey is
making great strides in the Transvaal, and, in addition to
the Transvaal Hockey, Association and the Transvaal
Ladies' Hockey Association, there is an Independent
Umpires Association. The headquarters of these bodies
are at Johannesburg, while Bloemfontein and Pretoria each
have their local organisations affiliated to the central
Association.

Cup or prize competitions are forbidden under their
rules, but the country is divided into leagues, in each of
which the clubs play a series of matches on the " League "
system. These " Leagues,", as they are called, really corre-
spond more to the English County Associations, and are
all affiliated to the Transvaal Association. The principal
ones besides those already mentioned are those with head-
quarters at Pretoria, Potchefstroom, Klerksdorp, Standerton,
and Kroonstad, and the Western Transvaal League. The
game is played under English rules, except that the ground
is larger, being 1 10 yards by 70. There does not seem to
be much difficulty about obtaining fairly good grounds,
10

146 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

though they are not, of course, of the green turf description
of English ones. They are, however, level, and there being
practically no grass, are very fast.

The scattered positions of the towns and the expense of
travelling such long distances have, up to the present, made
it impossible to arrange any matches between a combined
Transvaal team and any of the other South African colonies.
This, however, is only a matter of time, and there is a chance
of a start being made in this direction before very long.

The game is also played in Natal, Cape Colony, and
Orange River Colony, but as none of these colonies has a
governing body, it is simply a case of playing friendly games
between local clubs.

An effort is being made, as mentioned above, to start a
series of matches between each of the South African colonies,
and should the effort bear fruit the natural sequence will be
the foundation of a ruling body in each colony.

Turning now to Egypt, during the months of December,
January, and February each year there is a recognised
Hockey Tournament, promoted at Cairo by the Cairo
Hockey League, whose headquarters are at the Turf Club,
Cairo. The two leading local teams are the Khedival
Sporting Club and that composed of the staff of the Ministry
of Education, the remaining teams being principally those
of English regiments stationed in the country.

It is a far cry from Egypt to Canada, and, as can easily
be understood, the game is played under very different
circumstances in our North American possessions. There
ice-hockey is, one might almost say, one of the national
games ; it is played, however, in a very different spirit from
that usually connected with the game of hockey. In a
recent report of the speech made by the President of the
Ontario Hockey Association, one notices the following
headings : " Referee baiting," " Habitual roughness," " Men
off (/>. hurt) in the first half," " Sharpening sticks," and,
finally, " Mobbing frequent " 1

The speaker deals with the subjects at some length, and

HOCKEY IN OTHER LANDS 147

then goes on to say that they can at any rate congratulate
themselves that things are not so bad in their district as in
Eastern Canada, where the previous year four deaths occurred
directly through rough play in hockey matches 1 It is only fair
to state, however, that things have greatly improved of late,
and that there are now a large number of genuine amateurs
playing the game in the " cleanest " possible way.

" Field hockey," as the English game is called in
Canada, is not often played. Occasionally a few players
from the Old Country organise games in the neighbourhood
of Winnipeg, Vancouver, and Victoria, but, with the ice
available, they all sooner or later abandon them for the
certainly faster, and possibly even more exhilarating, game
on the ice.

Just a few words must be added, by way of summary,
to point out that, unlike any other outdoor game, except
possibly cricket, hockey is known and played in every part
of the civilised globe where games are played at all. Foot-
ball is, of course, played in most of the countries mentioned,
but if it were possible to take a census of the numbers
playing these three games in the countries in question, it is
pretty safe to say that hockey would take pride of place.

CHAPTER XII
LADIES' HOCKEY

SENTIMENT has nothing to do with the inclusion in
the present work of a chapter on ladies' hockey.
Such a chapter is essential to that idea of complete-
ness which the author has striven to compass. By their
prowess on the field of play, and by their ability in the
councils of hockey, ladies have long since established their
right to an honourable place in any history of the game.
Here and there, perchance, may be found male ignorance
and ill-humoured prejudice to deny them this right ; but
such must be very rare, and certainly unworthy a thought.
Any real knowledge of hockey as it is to-day includes the
admission that the game is admirably adapted to athletic
womanhood, and that ladies play it with remarkable skill
and science. Would it be the paramount winter game at
practically every ladies' school and college in the land were
it not suited to the gentle sex ? While as to ladies playing
hockey skilfully and scientifically, for visual proof of this it
is only necessary to watch a match between two first-class
counties, or visit Cheltenham during a Territorial week, or
Richmond on the occasion of an International encounter.
The initial sensation of those who for the first time witness
a match between two first-class ladies' teams is amazem ent, —
amazement at their speed, their combination, their power in
hitting, their dexterity with the stick, and their application
of the science of hockey. Any previous scepticism as to
th€l hockey ability of ladies is for ever dispelled. Wonder
and admiration form the reigning thought. And if

m8

"5^

LADIES' HOCKEY 149

the match is an International one, between England and
Ireland, say, the amazement is all the greater, so brilliant
and dashing is the play. Not, of course, that International
matches always provide the best exhibitions of hockey, but
when the picked eleven of one country is pitted against the
picked eleven of another the chances are that brilliancy will
out. The Old Deer Park, at Richmond, each year the locale
of an International match, has proved the grave of many a
doubt as to the proficiency of ladies at hockey.

And, the play apart, what a wonderful sight have these
International matches become ! Whereas in the early days
of these encounters the spectators numbered a few hundred,
now they throng the ground in as many thousands. Rich-
mond holds the record with three thousand odd ; that was
in March 1908, on the occasion of Scotland versus England.
In Dublin, too, as many as two thousand spectators will
assemble for an International match, while Raebum Place,
Edinburgh, has known fully fifteen hundred enthusiasts.
Nor are these crowds composed solely of members of the
fair sex. They invariably contain a generous ingredient
of the male element. And what unrestrained enthusiasm
prevails ! Carte blanche is the order of these occasions, and
liberty of tongue, and a continual accompaniment of shrill
cheers is the music which inspires the players to heroic deeds.

And if ladies play hockey well, they organise the affairs
of the game possibly better. The parent Association, the
All England Women's Hockey Association, is a model of
what an association should be, and Miss M. A. Julius, its
Honorary Secretary since 1905, a genius endowed with all
the qualities necessary to the successful occupancy of such
an office, and having the well-being and furtherance of the
game thoroughly at heart. Miss Julius is enterprising too,
and has many ambitious schemes for the future, schemes
which will widen the scope and influence of the A.E.W.H.A.
She believes that where there is no progression there will
be retrogression. And so Miss Julius will never rest until
every club in England and every ladies' school and college

I50 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

is affiliated to the parent Association, and until the latter is
as perfect in every imaginable detail as human ingenuity
can make it. Although the A.E.W.H.A. has never yet
been affiliated to the men's Hockey Association, nor is ever
likely to be, nor indeed has any desire or need to be, the
attitude of the latter towards it is one of admiration and
respect. It was not always thus ; this desirable attitude on
the part of the men is a product of recent years. When
the ladies launched their Association some fifteen years
ago, the Hockey Association gave them a cold shoulder,
refusing either to recognise or help them. In no wise dis-
couraged by this want of male sympathy, and animated
by a spirit of independence and determination, the ladies
pushed forward into a future which was to yield them a
harvest far beyond their rosiest expectations. Little did
those far-off pioneers of the A.E.W.H.A. — Miss L. M. Faith-
full, Miss E. G. Johnson, Miss C. Lawrence, Miss Guinness,
Miss Tatham, Miss Jameson, to name a few — ^think that
their stumbling efforts, in the teeth of opposition and pre-
judice, would one day result in a proud organisation with
three hundred clubs under its aegis, and a weekly paper to
chronicle hockey views. Although a private venture, the
Hockey Field (now styled the Hockey Field and Golf Green)
is regarded as the official organ of A.E.W.H.A. The exist-
ence of this paper and its growing prosperity are at once an
indication of the importance of ladies' hockey and then of
its progress.

But it will be both orderly and interesting to trace
chronologically the career of ladies' hockey from its birth
onwards, noting the chief landmarks by the w^.

Although a little desultory hockey, played with rude
ash sticks and string-covered ball, was indulged in by the
women students of the Oxford colleges before the year
1887, this may be regarded as the year which witnessed
the dawn of ladies' hockey in England. So that as a game
for ladies hockey is little more than twenty-one years old,
barely out of its infancy.

LADIES' HOCKEY 151

To Molesey belonged the distinction of having piomeered
the game, the Molesey Club being the first ladies' club ever
formed. The first captain of this club was Miss Piper, who
afterwards became Mrs. D'Oyly, and played for England,
the South, and Surrey, being dt her best a sound and
resolute back, clever at breaking up an attack, and a power-
ful hitter. Even now Mrs. D'Oyly occasionally assists her
county — and it is assistance — and shows by her clean and
scientific hockey that players of the past generation compare
very favourably with players of the present, despite the
overwhelming privileges of the latter.

Molesey's example was followed the next year by
Ealing. Both these clubs have long since been disbanded,
and the present East Molesey and Ealing Clubs bear no
kinship to the two clubs who gave English ladies' hockey
its happy send-off.

The hockey fever spread to Wimbledon, where a club
was formed under the able captaincy of Miss Margaret
Clapham, whose sister, Miss E. Clapham, was subsequently
such a brilliant member of the English team. This club
has held on its way ever since, surviving all the many and
trying vicissitudes of fortune. If its teams have not always
been up to the standard of the strongest Southern clubs, at
least it enjoys the honour of having for two years, 1904
and 1905, supplied England with a fast and dashing centre-
forward, to wit Miss M. Theed. Probably there never has
been in ladies' hockey such a fleet-footed, swift-striding
player as Miss Theed, nor a forward so dangerous near goal.
There have been cleverer dribblers, and forwards far better
in combination, but never one who went so hard and straight
and unflinchingly for her objective.

After the formation of this trio of clubs, ladies* hockey
for several years seemed to hang fire. It made no appreci-
able advance. No fresh enthusiasm was kindled ; no new
clubs sprang into existence. It appeared as though the
promoters of the game had pinned their enthusiasm to a
cause devoid of vitality or merit. But any such fear was

152 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

soon to be dispelled. In its early days hockey did not
commend itself, except to those who knew its possibilities,
as a game for ladies. The conditions under which it was
played, and the erroneous notions commonly held about it,
precluded any recommendation. The grounds on which it
was played were very rough, while the popular and untutored
conception of the game was a stick and a ball and a hit.
Nor was this conception an entirely false one, because in its
novitiate hockey had nothing highly scientific about it, and
was little more than a hitting and a chasing of a white ball
Add to this rough-and-ready method of play the uneven
state of the grounds, and the result was of necessity a game
big with the element of barbarity. Small wonder, then,
that parents held their daughters back from participating in
hockey. It was a rough and dangerous game, a game to be
avoided. So thought the many. But the little company
of pioneers pressed on hopefully, feeling assured that a game
of such scientific possibilities would one day win through to
popularity. Before that came to pass, however, hockey
lived many hard days, battling against the odds of prejudice
and propriety and regiments of other foes. These chasten-
ing days overpast, hockey appeared stamped with its true
character, a game of great merit, and par excellence a game
for the gentle sex. Slow at first, the process of evolution
quickened, and with the improvement of hockey its spread,
and anon the game was sweeping with the resistless rush of
a prairie fire over England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.
Enthusiasm for the game once kindled, there was no staying
its progress. And the passing years have only served to
strengthen the hold hockey has obtained upon the affections
of the gentle sex. Parents, guardians, and principals of
schools and colleges, so far from being hostile to hockey,
give it their cordial approval. It now occupies the first
place in the athletic curriculum of practically every ladies'
school and college in the land. Miss Faithfull, the principal
of the Cheltenham Ladies' College, one of the first girls*
schools in the kingdom, is president of the A.E.W.H.A.,

LADIES' HOCKEY 153

a fact which speaks for itself too clearly to need
elucidation.

But to resume the narrative of the career of hockey, the
year 1894 is the next landmark. Up to this year the three
clubs mentioned, and limited play at Oxford and Cambridge,
constituted practically the whole of English hockey. In
Ireland, however, the game was in better case ; and in the
Christmas holidays of 1894-95 the Alexandra College,
Dublin, invited -an English team over to Ireland to play a
series of matches. Miss Jameson captained the visitors,
who were drawn from past and present students of Newnham
College, Cambridge. Four matches were played, three of
them being drawn and one lost. Unimportant in other
respects, this little tour was epoch-making, in that it sowed
in the English mind the idea of the A.E.W.H.A. The
Irish boasted a Ladies' Hockey Union, and were most
anxious that there should be a similar organisation in
England, in order that International matches might be
arranged. The project was discussed by the leaders of
English hockey, but without any definite issue. For the
second time an impetus was given to the game in England
by the Irish, who brought over a team to meet an English
eleven raised and captained by Miss E. G. Johnson. The
match was played at Brighton very late in the season of
1894-95, on April 10, and resulted in a draw, neither
side scoring. If science and combination were not con-
spicuous features of the play, zeal was in abundance, and
English hockey received a decided fillip.

The immediate outcome was the formation of the
English Ladies* Hockey Association, and from that Associa-
tion's first meeting on November 23, 1895, hockey stepped
forth boldly as a ladies' game. Now it was all progress.
The game had come to stay. It began to assert itself.
Grounds improved, and this was succeeded by an improve-
ment in the play. As this happened prejudice waned and
hostility to hockey, and players and clubs multiplied.
International matches were instituted, and became annual

154 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

events. Territories were formed — North, South, Midlands,
West — and inter-territorial matches played. County teams
were started, and soon such a spirit of keenness and rivalry
was informing inter-county matches, that these encounters
became, and still remain, the most interesting and exciting
form of the game. And the A.E.W.H.A.. as the parent
Association was subsequently designated, waxed mightily,
displayed a courageous and an independent temper, and
finally severed their tacit allegiance to the Hockey Associa-
tion by making a drastic change in the rules of hockey.
This will be referred to later.

In Ireland, too, the game marched forward apace ; while
Wales, caught by the contagion, formed an Association in
1898, Scotland following suit a couple of years later. And
since then none of these countries, save Wales, has looked
back. Whether it is the polemic temperament of Wales,
or whether some other cause, Welsh hockey has not run too
smoothly, nor advanced as it should have done. In truth,
some four or five years after the formation of the Association
in Wales, the game in the Principality visibly declined, and
the subsequent split between North and South Wales caused
a still further declension. Happily, however, signs of a
revival showed in the season of 1907-8, and, stimulated
by the example of the other countries, and by the help
which they are always ready to give, Wales may yet
produce players worthy the steel of England, Ireland, and
Wales.

The impromptu encounter between scratch teams
representing England and Ireland, played at Brighton in
1895, and already referred to, laid the foundation-stone of
International hockey and of the rivalry between these two
countries, which has endured ever since. Every year since
1895 have English and Irish teams met, the former visiting
Ireland the even years, and the latter visiting England the
odd ones. Including the 1895 match, the matches played
number fourteen. Of these England claim nine wins and
Ireland three, while two have been drawn. The first Irish

MISS E. G. JOHNSON, ONE OF THE PIONEERS OF LADIES' HOCKEY,
AND ENGLAND'S CAPTAIN ON MORE THAN A DOZEN OCCASIONS

LADIES' HOCKEY 155

victory occurred in 1896, on the occasion of England*s
initial visit to Dublin, the measure of the latter's defeat
being 2 goals to nil. That was the first year of Miss E. G.
Johnson's long tenancy of the post of English captain.
Eight years in all was she England's captain, while
she was also a member of the team when Miss Heneage
and Miss Clapham captained England respectively in 1897
and 1898. After a draw in 1897, England had a run of
nine successes, broken by one defeat in 1902, this occurring
at Dublin to the extent of 5 goals to i. Then in the year
(1908), for the third time in the history of these matches,
England suffered defeat on Irish soil by 4 goals to 2.
Despite the defeats England has sustained, there is no
denying the superiority of English to Irish hockey. In all
the finer points of the game English ladies are superior.
They combine better, are more resourceful, and more
polished than the Irish, and handle their sticks with greater
adroitness. When the Irish have beaten them it has been,
not by better hockey, but by greater dash and a resistless im-
petuosity, characteristic of Irish athletics. On home soil, and
stimulated to heroic endeavour by their cheering compatriots,
the Irish are apt to be very dangerous. In one department
of the game the Irish need not bow to English supremacy,
namely in hitting. They are clean and hard hitters.

To Scotland, England has never yet succumbed,
although the 1905 match, played in Edinburgh, was a
draw, while at Raebum Place two years later, before a
record crowd for Scotland, the English ladies only just
squeezed home by 2 goals to i. All this reflects very
great credit upon Scotland, the youngest of the hockey
countries. Their matches with England commenced in
1902, Glasgow being the venue of the inaugural encounter,
and the result a win for England by 4 goals to nil. In
1904 they visited England for the first time, and found
the home country too good for them by 7 goals to 2.
But they rendered an attractive account of themselves, and
won a popularity with the spectators which has each year

156 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

increased. Miss A. Jones, their nimble-footed centre forward,
especially took the fancy of the spectators, her speed and
quickness on to the ball, and individual skill, earning much
delighted applause. It is interesting to note that of the
two elevens who did duty for their respective countries on
that occasion only two players took the field at Richmond
last year (1908) when England met Scotland, namely Miss
A. Murray for the former and Miss A. Jones for the latter.
And what a reception the Scottish ladies were afforded on
this their latest visit to England ! Escorted on to the
field of play by a trio of Highland pipers, and uniformed
in becoming plum-coloured skirts and blouses, they made
an imposing entry into an arena thronged by thousands
of spectators. Add to this the English team following
close upon their heels, and clad in scarlet skirts and white
blouses embossed with a red rose, and there is a picture
of what an up-to-d^te ladies' hockey International match
is. Of the seven matches in which they have met the
Scottish ladies, England has won six, the remaining
match being drawn. In pace and dash and vigour in
hitting the Scottish ladies compare very favourably with
their English sisters. But in the science of hockey they
are very decidedly inferior to the latter. The short passing
game, a feature of English forward play, is scarcely
attempted in Scotland. Individual efforts and long passes
from centre to wing and wing to centre are much more the
vogue. Until this is remedied, and until a more restrained
and thoughtful mode of play obtains among halves and
backs, Scotland will continue to bow the knee to England.
The history of International hockey as between
England and Wales is brief. Instituted in 1900, the
matches were abandoned after 1902, the cause of abandon-
ment being the overpowering superiority of England. Only
three matches were played, in which England amassed
no fewer than 4 1 goals. So, rightly enough, the fixture was
cancelled, and will only be resumed when Wales exhibit
something like International form.

LADBES* HOCKEY 157

But although breaking off their matches with England,
the Welsh ladies have persevered against Ireland and
Scotland, not, however, with any definite success. They have
played Ireland ten times and Scotland five times, and have
lost on each occasion. This is a disheartening record but
the Welsh are nothing if not indomitable, and their courage
has never faltered, as their optimism has never waned.
Their goal-keepers often offer a most brilliant and deter-
mined defence. The stubbornness of the goal-keeping is
quite a feature of Welsh play. Only one member of the
Welsh team who went on tour in 1908 and played against
the East at Richmond showed form approaching first-
class. This was Miss E. V. Lloyd, a youthful player,
whose fine defence at back was the one impres^ve feature
of the Welsh play.

Ireland and Scotland began to play one another first
in 1 90 1, victory going to Ireland three times in the first
four matches. Then for two successive years Scotland
gained the upper hand, only to be deprived of this supre-
macy in 1907 and 1908. So that of the eight matches
played Ireland have 5 wins to their credit and Scotland 2,
while one has been drawn.

County and Territorial hockey in England was of later
growth than International hockey. There is no occasion
to give the dates and details — suffice it to sum up the
present situation. There are now thirty-six County and
five Territorial Associations, the latest addition to the ranks
of the latter being the East Anglian L.H.A,, instituted
in 1906.

As to County hockey, Lancashire have for long been
Cock o* the North ; in the South, Surrey vie with Middlesex
and Sussex for supremacy, and generally with success;
Warwickshire and Cambridgeshire dominate the Midlands ;
Gloucestershire lead the way in the West ; while of East
Anglian counties Kent ^xq facile princeps.

The competition for places in the County teams \&
acute, and young players strain every nerve to compass

158 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

their ambition. Although good enough in theory, and
characteristic of the method with which ladies manage
their hockey affairs, the County trials do not always result
in the best teams being chosen. For one thing, the trials
are held early in the season, while players are short of
practice; for another, the desire of each player to catch
the eye of the Selection Committee engenders selfishness
and prevents combination, which places at a disadvantage
those players whose qualities are sterling but unobtrusive ;
while finally, oppressed by the importance of the occasion,
players, through nervousness, fail to do themselves justice.
But the worst feature is seen after the team has been
chosen — the absolute finality of the transaction. Once
a team has been chosen, that identical team must play
throughout the season. Like the laws of the Medes and
Persians, it changes not. This at least in theory, although
there is a growing tendency to pick the team afresh for
each match, and on current, not historic, form.

A collateral development of the game is the hockey
tournament. The credit of its creation belongs to the
West of England. Under the auspices of the Western
Counties Association, and under the able management of
Colonel W. Leir of Ditchett Priory, Bath, a tournament
was instituted at Weston-super-Mare in 1901, and such
success attended the venture that it became an annual
event. At first it was intended solely for the seven
Western counties — Cornwall, Gloucester, Somerset, Devon,
Dorset, Wilts, Hereford, but subsequently, and with the
primary object of making the number even, an eighth
county was invited — namely Sussex. This tournament
excites great interest in the West of England, and for ten
days, the period over which this hockey carnival extends,
hundreds of eager spectators flock to Clarence Park, the
venue of the meeting. Its ameliorating influence upon
Western hockey, and the widely-spread reports of its
special enjoyments, have prompted others to a like enter-
prise, and now tournaments are held by the East Anglian

LADIES' HOCKEY 159

Association, by Kent, and by Herts, while club tourna-
ments are fairly numerous.

Territorial hockey started late in the nineties. The
South have the best record, and in ten years have only
once succumbed to the North, their chief rivals. During
the past few years the Midlands have been very strong,
especially in forward play, and have generally supplied
the English front line with one or two of its members.
Perhaps the finest centre forward England has ever boasted
came from the Midlands, namely Miss Phillpotts, who played
for England for the last time in 1901, when her comrades
of the forward line were Miss M. Bryant, Miss H. Carver,
Miss Loch, and Miss Pennycuick. Then in the three
Miss Greens of Bedfordshire — one of them is now Mrs.
Boycott, wife of H. C. Boycott, the celebrated hockey
International and one-time English captain — the Midlands
possess a trio of rare hockey merit The Miss Greens
are renowned for their fleetness of foot, and have each
one of them played for England.

The West are the weakest of the territories. They have
produced some fine backs — Miss B. Kelly, Miss 1. Carroll,
and Miss Chris Baldwin — the last-named a young player
still in her teens, who has twice been reserve for England ;
but in forward play they fall below the standard of the
other territories. With so strong a county as Kent to draw
from, and with the game rapidly developing in Suffolk,
Norfolk, Herts, and Lincolnshire, the fifth territory and the
newest, the East, are likely to produce teams equal to those
of the other territories.

If a ballot were taken to decide who was entitled to
the place of honour among famous lady hockey players, the
result would surely find Miss E. G. Johnson at the head of
the poll. As a centre half-back Miss Johnson has never
had an equal. Although she still plays for Surrey, and is
worthy a place in the Southern and English elevens, her
game has lost something of its effectiveness, because it is
impossible for any one to play through as many seasons of

i6o THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

vigorous and first-class hockey as Miss Johnson has done
without the keen edge of her game becoming blunted. But
as the self-same qualities which made her name and her fame
are still to be found in her game, it is possible to write of
Miss Johnson in the present tense. Forwards who play in
front of Miss Johnson never starve. Her hand is lavish in
supplying them with passes. She is the least selfish of
half-backs, and understands her raison detre as a centre half
fisu- too well to indulge in that showy, but often time-wasting,
dribbling affected by so many modem half-backs. But
what is even more noticeable than her unselfishness is her
lightning detection of the forward who is in the best
position for receiving a pass and making an attack, and
then the instant flash of the ball to that player. In this
she is a model. Her gift of anticipation is another feature,
and remarkable enough to be mistaken for intuition. It
is, however, simply the result of great watchfulness; and
the moment she decides what her opponents' intentions
are, which way they mean to hit or pass the ball, she acts
accordingly. Small wonder that she is an arch-breaker-up
of attacks. Then Miss Johnson has a long and telescopic
reach, very useful to herself, but very disconcerting to her
opponents, while she is an adept at the " lunge." Ladies,
with a few notable exceptions, seldom make good leaders.
Miss Johnson is chief among the notable exceptions.
She is an ideal captain. Her moral effect on the team
under her is remarkable. She fires them with her own
confidence and enthusiasm, and puts a wise restraint upon
blame while being generous with praise.

In addition to Miss Johnson, other half-backs who have
left their mark upon the g^me and are worthy to be enrolled
among heroines of the hockey field are Miss Stocks of
Leicestershire, the sister of many hockey -playing brothers,
Mrs. Armstrong of Surrey, who first won International
distinction as Miss Bell, and Miss B. Hawtrey of Kent,
niece of the distinguished actor, Charles Hawtrey. Of
Miss Stocks it is necessary to write in the past tense, as

LADIES' HOCKEY i6i

she has not for many years taken part in representative
matches.

She was a left half, superlatively clever, and resourceful
to a degree. Her play suggested an early training in the
school of mixed hockey, so vigorous, quick, and skilful was
it. As a maker of openings for her forwards she has
probably never been equalled. Although she could hit
hard enough when occasion required, and without any
prefatory dallying with the ball, her more usual method was
first to elude her immediate opponents, and then to present
her forwards with the ball by means of a quiet pass. Miss
Stocks, her dexterous play and her wonderful head of hair,
will long be remembered by those who saw her on the
hockey-field.

Mrs. Armstrong was playing for England in 1899, and
was still playing for her country in 1908, although in the
latter year only as a reserve. But whereas in the former
year she played as a half-back, in the latter she played as a
back. Her proper position, the position in which she shines
most, is that of right half-back. She excels at fielding with
her stick, and the same quality which enables her to do this,
namely a good eye, enables her also to hit the ball when it
is travelling fast. She possesses great pace, and this
endowment, together with her effective manner of using the
" lunge," makes her a most difficult half to defeat. In con-
junction with Miss Johnson she has for many years formed
the backbone of Surrey lipckey.

Miss Hawtrey's inclusion in this list of celebrated
players will not pass wit^iout question. A fine natural
player, hitting the ball w|th all a man's power, and the
essence of energy and pluck, she suffers from one somewhat
serious defect, which, however, is more apparent than real —
she is slow in her movements. Any limitations this may
impose upon her game ^re balanced by her many splendid
athletic qualities. Left half-back is the difficult position
she has filled for England, although her special metier
is centre half Miss Hawtrey is a fine cricketer, too, has
II

1 62 THE CX)MPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

made her centuries, and thrown a cricket ball some 70
yards.

The two finest exponents of back play among English
ladies are undoubtedly Miss A. Carver, a Northern player,
and Miss A. Murray, of Sussex, both left backs. The
former has retired from the game for some years, but at
her best she was a fine free player, clean and hard-hitting,
and a host in herself.

Miss Murray is of a different type, a clever and
finished player, who has a genius for extricating herself and
her side from difficulties. For the past few years she has
been the soundest spot in the English defence. Her
resourcefulness and her coolness in outwitting impetuous
forwards are impressive features of her play. She is a
model for aH young players.

If for no other reason than that she has done much,
very much, to promote hockey in the North, and has
captained the English eleven for the past two seasons. Miss
F. A. Mack deserves enrolment in this list But she is a
fine player, a right back, who plays the most scrupulously
fair and correct hockey. A noticeable feature of her game
is her habit of deferring her effort till it seems almost too
late, and then of effecting a surprising and brilliant save.

Of goal-keepers, Miss Homer of Essex takes the palm.
Uninviting a position as that of goal-keeper is, ladies take
to it readily enough, and fill it conspicuously well. Few of
them use their feet or come out of goal to the extent they
should. Miss Homer took all manner of risks, a splendid
eye enabling her to indulge in flying hits at the ball —
a practice which in most cases would have resulted in
disaster. She preferred her hands to her feet for fielding
the ball, and exceedingly safe they were.

Coming to the forwards — Miss Phillpotts has already
been referred to. She is described by Miss E. G. Johnson
as the finest centre forward England or ladies' hockey has
ever known. She was a well-equipped player, not brilliant
in this department and weak in tiiiat, but armed at all points,

LADIES' HOCKEY 163

very fast, and very quick, and very clever; individual if
occasion demanded, but equally good in combination.

Miss C. Evans, a product of Cambridge University, and
subsequently the reformer of Kentish hockey, was a centre
forward on scientific lines ; but she had her limitations.
Her play and methods never failed to exercise a beneficial
influence on the forwards who played with her, and a
forward line with Miss Evans in it was sure to exhibit
some very pretty hockey. The last time she figured in an
International match was in 1907 at Richmond, and
England's 7 goals to 3 victory over Ireland on that
occasion was largely due to Miss Evans's skill. Owing
to considerations of health. Miss Evans has retired from the
game, and thereby has left a blank in Kentish and English
hockey.

No one will dispute the title of Miss M. Bryant to be
inscribed the best right-wing forward known to ladies'
hockey. She played for England first in 1901, when she
was a schoolgirl in her middle teens. So she is now in her
prime. Her allegiance was, at the beginning of her career,
given to Sussex and the South. Subsequently she migrated
to Lancashire, and has now thrown in her lot with that
county, while in Territorial encounters she represents the
North — very much to their benefit. Her pace and quickness
are extraordinary for a lady, and her shooting of masculine
power. She is thoroughly versed in the dribbler's art, and
her practical demonstrations of this are the wonder of
International matches no less than her feline agility.
Every known stroke and every trick of the stick are of her
armoury. Spectators love to see this wonderful little
player in possession of the ball — she is so frequently the
author of sensations. And if she does romance over- much
with the ball and occasionally carry individual effort to
excess, these are days of such arid devotion to combination
and collective movements that a departure from convention
is like an oasis in a desert.

And just as Miss Bryant stands alone in her position,

1 64 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

so does Miss L. M. Pennycuick in hers — left-wing forward.
She played for England first in 1899, the same year as
Miss Lottie Dod, the most versatile of sportswomen. Her
International d^but was an unqualified success, and she was
by good judges of form recognised as a player of no
ordinary talent. Three years at Newnham College,
Cambridge, although preventing her appearance in Inter-
national and Territorial matches, proved of the utmost
value in forming and developing her game. She enjoyed
the singular good fortune of being for two years under the
wise captaincy of Miss C. J. Gaskell, and of playing along-
side Miss Loch, the most delightful and unselfish of for-
wards. This was the " Newnham trio " of fame, feared by
foes, and long to be remembered as the best combination
of centre and left wing ever seen. On leaving Cambridge,
Miss Pennycuick resumed her old position in the South and
England teams, helping them to victory for several seasons.
Owing to scholastic duties, she is once again lost to first-
class hockey.

Outside left is admittedly the most difficult position in
the forward line. The touch of genius in Miss Pennycuick
enabled her to surmount the inherent difficulties of the
position, and create a method for playing there which
remains a model for all time. Her beautiful centres,
executed while going at top speed with a half-right turn of
the body, her clean and judicious fielding with her hands,
and her perfectly hit comers were among the more salient
features of her game. A small player, like -Miss Bryant,
she never found her lack of weight and inches any bar to
the efficacy of her play.

One of the most dangerous forwards who ever played
for England was Miss K. Rodger. Her rise to distinction
was rapid. Member of a second-rate club, she in one
season — 1904-5 — gained her place in the Surrey, South,
and England teams. There she remained for three
seasons, seasons of many brilliant achievements on her
part. Endowed with a fine physique, and without any

LADIES' HOCKEY 165

sense of fear, she was a player of resistless dash, who
terrorised her opponents by the directness and severity of
her shooting. There never was a player who went so
straight for her objective, or banged at goal so unhesi-
tatingly, or gathered goals in such abundance. She seldom
played in the season of 1907-8, and was sorely missed by
both Surrey and England.

Happily England has a rich reserve of youthful talent,
and young players are speedily found and made fit to fill
the gaps in County and International teams.

Ladies owe much to mixed hockey. Playing with
men sharpens and lends robustness to their game. This
form of hockey, however, is neither so common nor so
popular as it once was. It has fallen into disfavour,
partly on account of the element of danger it engenders.
Roughness in games seems to be the chronic and pre-
dominant characteristic of certain men, certain clumsy,
headlong creatures. Such are the death of mixed hockey.
Before parents allow their daughters to engage in mixed
hockey, let them make sure that none of the male players
is of this order, the order which has not the sense or the
ability to temper vigour in the presence of ladies.

At one time — some half-dozen years ago — private
mixed matches were very much the vogue in England,
being affected by the aristocracy, and even by Royalty.

Much of. this hockey was beautifully primitive and
highly diverting. The ladies dressed for spectacular effect
rather than for utility, while the men, in obedience to the
fancied demands of decorum, eschewed the regulation
hockey costume, and arrayed themselves in knee-breeches,

thigh collars, and fancy waistcoats. The weapons of war,
the ground, and the manner in which it was set out, often
added further to the burlesque. Ignorance of the rules
waSj of course, rampant, and derision was the retort any one
received for objecting to charging and tackling from the
left. A hockey-playing member of Parliament tells an
amusing story of his first experience of one of these

1 66 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

private country-house mixed matches. Before the match
he happened to overhear two players, who were to be
among his opponents, discussing the game, its tactics, and
the methods of playing it " When I hit at the ball and
miss it," remarked one of them, " I am always careful to
hit one of the other team." " Why do you do that ? " was
the surprised reply. " Well, you see," was the answer, " if
you hit and miss altogether, it does wrench your arms so."
Small wonder that the eavesdropper was a prey to un-
pleasant forebodings ! But that was all long ago. These
are days of enlightenment, and hockey is everywhere played
more according to the book.

Until the year 1907, ladies adhered rigidly to the rules
of the game as laid down by the Hockey Association.
Certain regulations with regard to dress were, of course, a
necessary addition. In the season of 1907-8, however,
the A.E.W.H.A. showed their independence, and created a
precedent, by introducing a bold and drastic change into
the rules. They abolished the hooking of sticks. In
effecting this abolition the A.E.W.H.A. seem to have
been animated by the desire to remove a needless element
of danger from the game, to make the game faster, and
to follow the example of Scotland and Ireland, both of
whom prohibited hooking of sticks. When either of these
countries visited England, they had perforce to adapt them-
selves to a practice wholly foreign to them, while on the
occasions of England*s visits to Edinburgh or Dublin the
English teams found great difficulty in conforming to
the negative method of their opponents. For International
purposes, then, the A.E.W.H.A. probably acted wisely;
but it is open to question whether the change has worked
for the good of the game itself. The right to hit or tip
the sticks up from beneath was retained, and so much have
players concentrated upon this that a new means of defence
is being substituted for the deposed method, of which it is
little other than a variant. One wise alteration effected
in the rules by the ladies is the introduction of a penalty

LADIES' HOCKEY 167

for shooting at goal from a comer without the ball first
having been stopped motionless on the ground. The
punishment for this dangerous and reprehensible practice is
a free hit to the defenders.

Ladies in other lands do not as yet play hockey to any
great extent. Here and there the game is played in some
of our colonies, and in New Zealand they have got the
length of an Association.

On the Continent of Europe the game is little played
by ladies. In one country, however, ladies have become
enthusiastic followers of hockey, although it is not the
hockey of English ideas. This country is Holland. In
the season of 1904--5 a team of Dutch ladies came over to
England and played a series of matches against English
teams, under Dutch rules. Despite the disadvantage of
strange rules and an eccentric ball, the English players
were more than a match for the visitors. Since that time
it has become an annual event for a team of English
ladies to make a short tour in Holland. They have
invariably acquitted themselves with distinction, and upheld
the best traditions of English hockey.

To an English way of thinking, the Dutch style is
hopelessly destructive of the science of hockey and of all
the finer points of the game and its more delicate move-
ments. The Dutch stick is flat on both sides, and both
sides may be used for hitting the ball, so that left-handed
hitting, illegal in English, is legal in Dutch, hockey. Then
tackling from the left and the resultant charging and use
of the body, are permissible in Holland. And the ball!
How extraordinary it is ! A resilient and lively pudding I
Made of canvas, filled with horsehair and lightly com-
pressed, it weighs some 2 oz., and has a girth of about
12 inches.

The oldest club in Holland is the Haarlem Dames
Hockey Club, founded in 1898. Other clubs are the
Hague, Rotterdam, Utrecht, Hilversum, Nymegen, Velp,
Hertogenbosch, and Roermond and Amersfoot.

CHAPTER XIII
SOME FAMOUS PLAYERS AND FAMOUS CLUBS

ONE of the speakers at the great Olympic hockey
banquet, held at the Hotel Russell, in October 1908,
remarked in his after-dinner oration that there was
"only one Shove." This remark drew a mighty and
approving shout from the assembled hundreds. From the
hoariest veteran — and many a snow-white hair gleamed in
that vast assemblage — to the most youthful diner present,
from the player of the seventies to the player of the
twentieth century, one and all subscribed to this utterance,
and to the meaning the speaker intended it to convey,
namely, that S. H. Shoveller was the greatest player of all
time, the highest and most finished product of the game.
No other tribute to " Shove's " genius could have been so
impressive as that spontaneous outburst of assent. He
has been described as the "prince of centre forwards,"
which is true ; but the description would be no less truthful
if it ran, " prince of players." He has been the subject of
countless eulogies, while epics galore have been chanted,
extolling his prowess. This very pen has more than once
essayed to trace the lineaments of his play and personality,
but with indifferent success. His genius beggars a faithful
portrayal, for he is a son of inspiration. But what is there
about Shoveller, apart from his genius, that makes him so
wonderful a player? Well, he is as quick as thought, and
the most elusive runner and dribbler that ever was. He
has a most effective swerve, which he seems able to turn on

at will, and a quick-footed dodge which leaves his opponents

168

FAMOUS PLAYERS AND FAMOUS CLUBS 169

leaning in one direction while he is away in the other.
This knack of getting his opponents on their wrong leg is
a valuable factor in his effectiveness. His close corkscrew-
runs down the field — he makes no wide detours and takes
no keen angles — are a household word, and his pushing the
ball through the goal at close quarters is the nightmare of
many a goal-keeper. In one of his inspired periods he is
equal to defeating, single-handed, the best defence in the
world. I once saw him score 7 goals in thirty minutes
in a County match. That day he was irresistible. His
control of the ball compels astonishment. He seems to
caress and persuade it to obedience to his intentions.
There is no more pleasing sight in all hockey than one of
those sudden and electric runs with which Stanley Shoveller
delights his comrades and paralyses his opponents-

** The science of hockey first appealed to me," writes
Shoveller, "at Queen Elizabeth's School, Kingston-on-
Thames, somewhere about 1893; so I am very nearly a
back number. I first played for Middlesex in 1899, and
again in 1900, when it was discovered that I had no real
qualification for that county. Since then I have played
for Surrey. I played for the South in 1901, and for
England in 1902." And since the latter date Shoveller
has played a very important part in England's hockey
supremacy. He was born in the year 1881, so that his
career exactly synchronises with the period which witnessed
the scientific evolution in the game.

And curiously enough, another Stanley, to wit Stanley
Cnristopherson, was a famous centre forward and a house-
hold word in the nineties. He is still the latter, a house-
hold word, and one of the great names of hockey as an
administrator, as well as a player. Practically one of the
pioneers of the game, he has loyally given it his unbroken
support, his time and his energies, and in the councils of
the Hockey Association has been simply invaluable, and
always on the side of wise reforms. He is closely con-
nected with the Wimbledon Club for it was as a member

I70 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

of the renowned Wimbledon team of the nineties that he
came into prominence as a player, and proved himself one
of the finest centre forwards the game has ever produced.
Assuming the captaincy of Wimbledon in 1892, he led
the Club to almost continuous victory for five seasons. The
strength of Wimbledon may be gauged from the fact that
at one time during this period of plenty no fewer than six
Internationals were members of the team. As a centre
forward, Christopherson was an almost perfect model. He
was an adept at feeding his wings — a centre forward was
the pivot of the front line in his day, and hard hitting-out
to the wings was one of his important resources — and
possessed the faculty, so essential for a centre forward, for
keeping the forwards together. He was of another school
altogether from Shoveller. He captained England in her
first International match, and added to this honour that
of scoring the first goal. As to his administrative services
to the game, they have been legion. In 1893 ^^ became
Secretary to the Hockey Association, and filled that office
till 1899, or during a period of six years, the most arduous
in the annals of the game. For this was the period of
hockey's rapid rise to popularity. Clubs, County and
Territorial Associations sprang up, like mushrooms, in a
night, but, unlike that vegetable, remained as a permanent
growth. In his official capacity Christopherson was called
upon to answer all the thousands of inquiries which- such
development in the game was certain to generate. He was
the butt of every riddle as to the interpretation of the rules,
and every question as to the dry details of forming Associa-
tions, to ^'ay nothing of the more trivial interrogations
incident to the position of one who was Secretary of the
parent Association. And yet his patience never wore out,
and he stayed at the helm until his Association had sailed
safely through the rough weather into calmer waters.

England has never wanted for good centre forwards.
After Christopherson, P. R. Earnshaw, and after Earnshaw,
Shoveller. Earnshaw stepped into Christopherson's shoes,

FAMOUS PLAYERS AND FAMOUS CLUBS 171

and filled them. He was a brilliant player. Originally a
member of the old Putney Club, he threw in his lot with
Bromley, and assisted that club to the high position it
enjoyed from 1896 to 1902. He stood alone as a centre
forward when at the zenith of his skill. Albeit a fine
player individually, and capable of brilliant runs, it was
collectively that he was so great, his chief characteristic
being his unselfishness in passing, and his judgment in
choosing the right moment for a pass. The charm of
Percy Earnshaw's play was the fact, clear for all to see, that
he played for his side first and last, and for himself not at
all. Therefore the beautiful bouts of passing which his
presence in a team engendered, culminating in one of his
terrific shots at goal. From 1 896 onwards, until the advent
of Shoveller in 1902, Earnshaw was England's "stock"
centre forward. Since his deposition by Shoveller he has
played full back for Barnes, a prominent London club.
Occasionally, lured by the remembered fascination of his
old position, he will return to his first love and try to
repeat for Barnes what he used to do for England and
Kent. But his sojourning at centre forward is short-lived ;
the position is not one for middle life.

In casting about for a half-back worthy the company of
these great centre forwards, the backward eye of the
historian will not rove for long before fastening on Merton
Barker, the finest left half-back England, or any other
country, has ever possessed. Hailing from Radley School,
and a keen all-round athlete, it was chance that gave him
to hockey — chance in the nature of an accident at football.
Joining the Molesey Club, one of the pioneer clubs of
hockey, Barker learned his hockey under its tutelage, and,
betraying the same aptitude for this new game as he had
for every other, speedily developed into a remarkable player.
Perhaps the most extraordinar/ feature of his play was the
quickness of his left hand, its rapier-thrust quickness. Then
he had an abnormal reach with either hand, and added to
this such powerful wrists that he was constantly achieving

172 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

the impossible. His skill at getting a ball, almost out of
his reach, under his control was little short of miraculous.
His methods do not lend themselves to a literary description.
They were peculiarly his own, and would in modern eyes
be hopelessly heterodox. But they were mightily effective.
Barker represented the South as left half from 1890 to
1897, and England in 1897 and 1898, captaining his
country on both these occasions. For many years he did
yeoman service for Middlesex.

When the Western Counties Hockey Association sent
a representative team up to London for the first time, in
1 90 1, to play the South, it was generally expected that the
match would be an ill-balanced affair. Although the raw
West Country lads might, in keeping with their traditional
character, offer a bold and spirited front, they would be
hopelessly out -classed by the clever and experienced
Southern combination. That was what every one thought
1 — except the West themselves. They believed in them-
selves and their powers. Nor was this self-belief proved to
be arrogance. The match was played, and the West
Country " rabble " overran the well-drilled Southrons, and
the measure of their triumph was 4 goals to i. The
hero of the day, and the surprise and despair of the South,
was Tom Pethick, the scorer of three of the Westerners*
goals. His play came as a revelation to London, and the
authorities instantly ear-marked him for International
honours in the near future. Extraordinary versatility,
skill in dribbling with either hand, in shooting from either
side of the body, and superlative dash were the features of
Pethick's play. He began playing hockey when a boy;
but his actual hockey career commenced with the formation
of the Avenue Club, Weston-super-Mare, in 1899. For
three seasons this club, although playing all the strongest
clubs in the West, did not lose a single match, and had a
wonderful goal record, to which Pethick was easily the
most generous contributor, frequently scoring as many as
ten times in a single match. Somersetshire, the West, and

FAMOUS PLAYERS AND FAMOUS CLUBS 173

England have all benefited by his goal-gathering stick.
In 1904 he scored 11 goals in International matches.
His position was inside left, and his union with Eric Green
for Staines and England was rich in combination and goals.
Now and then Pethick's play was so bizarre as to partake
more of juggling than of orthodox hockey.

Does a player lend greatness to his name, or Is it his
name that lends greatness to the player? Would Eric
Green, for example, have been as great had he borne the
name of Richard Browne — and I give him an ^? That
is scarcely, however, a question for the historian to discuss.
It must be left to those who dabble in the abstruse and
metaphysical.

The historian is concerned with the pleasant fact, which
he must give to the world, — although it seems almost
superfluous to do so in this case, so world-famed is Eric
Green, — that Eric Green is a great player, among the giants
of the game. As a left-wing forward he is facile princepSy
never yet matched in that position. He is renowned more
especially for his ability to centre while running at full
speed, a feat which he compasses by means of a quick,
half-right turn of the body and a wrist and forearm stroke,
perfect in timing and follow-through. The stroke is sharp
and crisp, and how it hums its way to the centre, travelling
at the rate of some hundreds of miles an hour ! Eric Green's
play of wrists and forearms is wonderful, and his pace
tremendous. His right-angled centre from touch-line to
circle is a stroke of much celebrity and the terror of his
opponents. He is an enterprising outside left, too, and
very unselfish — a rare alliance — delightful to play with, an
arch-enthusiast and a Trojan for work. He was born at
Leatherhead in 1878, and commenced his hockey career at
St. Mark's School, Windsor, playing with an ash stick
and an indiarubber ball. His brilliant career for Staines
dates from 1895. Three years later he was considered
worthy a place in the English team, and has represented
his country ever since, save on two or three occasions.

174 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

Never once has he been on the losing side in an Inter-
national match, which is a proud record, although it must
be remembered that England has been beaten only once.
Of the beginnings of his hockey Eric Green says : " I think
I learnt most of my game on the tennis lawn at Staines,
where my brothers and I were constantly dribbling, passing,
and shooting."

If Eric Green is incomparable on the left wing, W. M.
Johnstone, Ireland's most distinguished hockey son, Ireland,
the stronghold of the game, bears the same character as a
right-wing forward. Member of a well-known hockey
family, whose sire is still a vigorous player at sixty,
Johnstone — known to all and sundry by the sobriquet
of " Johnny "—commenced his hockey career in 1896, and
as a full back. His aptitude for the game was so remark-
able that he walked straight into the Dublin University
team, while he was chosen, as a back, to play for Ireland
against Wales in 1898. The following year he went to
outside right, and instantly proved by his brilliant play
that he had found his mktier. From 1900 onwards he was
the finest player in the Irish team, and the chief sting in
the attack — easily the best right wing of the decade. In
1900 he entered upon his famous and fruitful partnership
with Douglas Dunlop, the alliance being chiefly responsible
for Dublin Unversity's defeat of the well-nigh invincible
Palmerston Club, and their wresting of the Irish Cup from
the latter. It was only fitting that Ireland's greatest
player should have the honour of captaining his country
on the occasion of their victory over England. And
Johnstone must have captained Ireland on more than a
dozen occasions. He was picked to captain Ireland fifteen
times, and to play for them twenty-three times.

The following is from an Irish correspondent, R.
MWilliam : " The strongest point of Johnstone's hockey
lay in his extraordinary judgment of pace both as regards
man and ball. A most deceptive runner, his singularly
smooth action often tempted backs to tackle too late, and

FAMOUS PLAYERS AND FAMOUS CLUBS 175

by letting the ball apparently out of control he often lured
a back to dash in, in the hopes of reaching the ball first.
The back who accepted the bait was lost No matter how
good the chance appeared, Johnstone was always in time,
and a left-hand lunge at the ball gave one more player
reason to repent hasty conclusions. Between the Scylla of
coming across too slowly, and the Charybdis of dashing
for a ball seemingly within reach, most backs failed,
sooner or later, to get in their tackle, and a centre right
across the circle, or a sudden dash for goal, spelled disaster
for Johnstone's opponents. He was a fair shot, and a
tricky close dribbler, the best and most dangerous Irish
forward of his or any other day."

A writer in Frfs Magazine of December 1905 says of
him : " Endowed with a wonderful turn of speed, a compact
athletic frame, and an unerring eye, Johnstone is an ideal
forward of the aggressive type."

The hockey played in the Midlands is of a very
decided type, aggressive and vigorous — some people might
think there was a thought too much vigour in it. A
player produced by the Midlands, and possessing all the
virtues of the Midland style but none of its faults, was
H. C. Boycott, who played over thirty times for his
Territory, and was an International many times over. His
ddbut at hockey occurred in 1895 as a member of the
Wolverhampton team. The following year he earned
County honours, Staffordshire being the team so fortunate
as to enjoy his services, which they retained for four
seasons, when Boycott threw in his lot with Northants.
International honours came in 1900, and many times
subsequently. In the judgment of some. Boycott was on
his day the first exponent of back play known to hockey.
A daring and impetuous player, he was yet sound in
defence and absolutely reliable, while as to his stick-work
it merits the epithet "marvellous." Apart from his play,
English and Midland hockey owe him a heavy debt of
gratitude. He had an unerring eye for promising talent

176 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

and an instinct for coaching, and two distinguished
Midlands backs, who also played for England, E. V. Jones
and T. C. Baillon, were the direct product of Boycott's
judgment and fostering care.

There is a trite saying to the effect that small
happenings often develop great issues. The saying is
trite because so often proved true. One afternoon
H. S. Freeman, a boating man and a stranger to hockey,
was persuaded to go and watch the Staines hockey team at
play. Staines chanced to be one short, and Freeman was
impressed into the vacancy. In his ordinary clothes
Freeman had his first game and his first experience of
hockey, and he so liked it that he was henceforth a hockey
enthusiast with the best. So by a mere chance England
came by a player who was destined to be one of the
greatest of right backs. That was in 1894. Of his educa-
tion in the game Freeman says : " I learnt to play by
practising at home with my three brothers once a week
for several hours. Our method was to have goal-posts
and circle, and then for my brothers to attack whilst I
defended." Freeman commends this method as being the
best possible medium for inducing fitness and making a
player self-reliant, especially the defending player. " One
reason for my success at hockey," he says, " was the fact
that at the very outset I realised that to be first-class a
back should be as fast, even faster, than the fastest of
forwards. Accordingly I regularly practised sprinting."
It was not for two or three seasons that Freeman
discovered his true vocation. Forward and half-back
positions were tried before he settled down at full back — a
square peg in a square hole. And " square " is no such bad
word to use of Freeman. Both his figure and his game
are of the square-set, sturdy order. Describing Freeman's
methods, Eric Green, his club-mate for so many years, says :
" One might compare him to a cat, so watchful and quick
is he. Ever on the alert, it seems a gift with him to be in
the exact spot to intercept a pass, or to pounce upon the

FAMOUS PLAYERS AND FAMOUS CLUBS 177

ball and pick it off the forward's stick. The precision with
which he feeds his forwards is a cause for wonder, while
his pace is tremendous, as forwards who have played
against him can testify. Equally brilliant in attack and
defence, he never suffers himself to be flurried, and his
hitting is above reproach, the acme of cleanness and power,
and never a suspicion of* sticks' about it." He did not
develop so quickly as some, and it was not till 1903 that
he came to his full powers. That year he played for
England, the first of a long series of appearances — success-
ful appearances — for his country. Staines, Middlesex, the
South, and England he has played for and captained,
while he had the honour of leading the English team to
victory in the Olympic contest Freeman is a versatile
athlete. He is as good at ice hockey as at the field game,
and was chosen to play for England in the Olympic Bandy
contest, which, however, was never decided. In con-
junction with E. E. H. Green, a brother of Eric Green's,
he won the Amateur Double Punting Championship of the
Thames. He has won numerous cups for rowing and
sculling, and several gold medals as a motor cyclist for
the London to Edinburgh run promoted by the Auto-
Cycle Club. So Freeman is a standing argument against
the occasional indictment that hockey players are not of
the cream of athletes.

The North of England is, and always has been, rich in
hockey talent, and is fully entitled to representation in this
gallery of hockey heroes. And no better choice could be
made for the honour than R. E. Knowles, closely associated
with the early history and progress of Northern hockey,
and largely responsible for the formation of the Northern
Association in 1888. Knowles was a right half — for
many years the best in the North and the best in England.
He was the most agile of players, as quick as a flash, and
a merciless harasser of forwards. Like Freeman, he was a
versatile athlete, a runner and a swimmer of no mean
reputation.
12

178 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

Skill is an ephemeral thing, although the aroma of it
always remains. This is true in the case of great players.
And it is much the same with clubs, although one is far
readier to forget a bygone club than a bygone individual
reputation.

Wimbledon and Surbiton, among the pioneers of English
club hockey, were once names to conjure with. But where
is their glory now ? " Ichabod " has been written across
their escutcheon. The world forgets very quickly, but the
historian exists in the interests of truth, and he must
breathe life into the dry bones of reputations long fallen
in ruins, and win for them some recognition from the world.
So let the world, forgetting the evil days which have come
upon Wimbledon and Surbiton, recollect and dwell upon
the former greatness of these clubs, how that they were
once first in the land, the very life and soul of English
hockey.

Passing to clubs whose reputation is of later date,
Hampstead is perhaps the most famous. True it cannot
boast of having pioneered the game in the South of Eng-
land, but it can claim an antiquity shared by few Southern
clubs. It is a unique club. Originally it was an off-shoot
of the Hampstead Cricket Club, under whose tutelage it
flourished until 1897, when it broke away from the parent
club and assumed an independent existence. The dis-
tinctive feature of the club has always been the strong
cricketing element in its various teams. The Hampstead
Club is, indeed, a striking illustration of what is now a
recognised truth, namely, that hockey is essentially a game
for cricketers. Most celebrated of all Hampstead's cricket-
hockey players was A. E. Stoddart, who played as a wing
forward, and with the self-same skill which marked his
cricket, his football, or any other game to which he turned
his hand. Then there were H. B. Hay man, G. Crosdale,
W. Danby, S S. Pawling, cricketers all, and keen and
successful hockey players. F. W. Orr and E. L, Marsden
are others whose dual skill makes them useful members

FAMOUS PLAYERS AND FAMOUS CLUBS 179

of both clubs. For many years Hampstead's bright
particular star has been Shoveller. Without him, the club
are in much the same case as Samson shorn of his locks.
After Shoveller comes Logan, the great centre-forward's
complement, the player who acts the part of royal pass-
bearer to the king of centre forwards. Hampstead play
their home matches on the Richmond Athletic Ground,
on a piece of turf that is the beau ideal of a hockey pitch,
as perfect as any in London.

And for many years Staines have been Hampstead's*
great rivals and vied with them for Southern supremacy.
Staines are not a club of great antiquity. Their birth
dates from 1892. In the early days the club's efforts did
not command the remarkable success of later years. Indeed,
if after an encounter with brilliant Bromley the team left
the field with less than a score of double figures against
them, the result was regarded as a moral victory ! The
year 1896 was epoch-making for Staines. A. Playford
assumed the reins of leadership. He was a new broom,
and he swept very clean. The old players had to go, and
young ones were substituted. Playford's captaincy ushered
in an era of wonderful prosperity. It did not come in full
measure all at once. It was a story of steady progress, a
gradual crescendo. From 1899 to 1901 the first team
played regularly together every Saturday, and during that
time only fifteen players served on the team. This speaks
for the keenness of the players, and suggests the existence
of uncommon esprit de corps. Then in 1902 the club
entered upon the period which has made the name
" Staines " one of uncommon lustre in the history of hockey.
Towards the close of the season of 190 1—2 Staines were
defeated by Hampstead, but from that day down to
December 2, 1905, they were invincible. And when
they were beaten, it was by their old rivals, Hampstead.
So in four seasons they lost only one match.

In 1903, Staines were one of the parties to a remarkable
match. A scratch team was brought against them, consist-

i8o THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

ing of no less than seven of that season's English team,
two of the Irish team, and two past Internationals — a
team of eleven Internationals. A grand match ended in a
draw. The luck was against the club, who started one
short, and suffered the additional misfortune of having the
equalising goal registered against them in the last five
seconds of play. From the view-point of the majority,
there is a serious blemish in the play of Staines — they play
four half-backs. Whether their unparalleled success has
been in spite of this doubtful practice, oi because of it, who
shall say? But Staines' period of plenty was followed by
years of — not leanness perhaps, but greatly abated 3uccess.
Chief among the players who have helped to make Staines
famous are H. S. Freeman, Eric Green, A. Playford, C. Pimm,
and T. Pethick, while among those who have helped the
club from time to time are J. N. and V. F. S. Crawford of
cricket renown.

There is, or rather was, — because it disbanded in 1907,
— a club who can show an even more splendid record than
Staines, namely, the Irish Club, Palmerston. In five suc-
cessive seasons Staines lost 2 matches out of 90 played.
Palmerston, in six successive seasons, lost only 2 matches of
1 60 played. So on figures the palm must go to Palmerston.
In one of these years Palmerston scored 102 goals, and
had only 7 goals scored against them. Can Staines or
any other club show such a phenomenal goal record?
I trow not. And Palmerston owed its greatness to the
Peterson brotherhood, a band of six brothers, whose name
is a household word in hockey circles the world over. The
dawn of their hockey career is dated 1896, when they
commenced playing for Old Avoca on the Avoca school
ground at Blackrock. In 1899 the brothers joined
Palmerston, the oldest club in Ireland. The Petersons
imparted new vigour and skill to the club, and carried it
on their shoulders through those six happy years. The
Petersons and Palmerston look askance at the seasons of
1 90 1 and 1902. Those years laid bare their mortality.

FAMOUS PLAYERS AND FAMOUS CLUBS i8i

Dublin University being the instruments of this exposure,
defeating them on each occasion by a single goal.

Palmerston's proudest year was 1 904. They supplied
to the Irish team which defeated England at Dublin
no fewer than nine players. Of these nine club-mates five
were Petersons, and to the united fervour of the brothers'
play Ireland were largely indebted for victory. The sixth
brother, although not sharing directly in the kudos of that
memorable triumph, had the distinction and consolation of
playing twice for his country.

CHAPTER XIV
THE ART OF UMPIRING

THE umpire has so grown in importance and dignity,
and has exercised such a moulding and purging
influence on the game, that he and his art deserve
a chapter to themselves.

Two things more than any others make for bad hockey
— lax umpiring and rough gp-ounds. These two evils,
allied to ignorance of the rules, to a loose interpretation
of them, and to a tacit and universal understanding that
they were not to be taken at their face value, for long
retarded a cleaner and more scientific type of hockey from
coming into vogue. This was the state of affairs in the
early days of the game. Nor was ignorance of the rules
limited to the players. The umpires themselves, the
arbiters of the game, their raison cPitre the just ad-
ministering of the rules, seldom had a working knowledge
of the latter. But in those days the umpire was the least
important item in a match. Any one would do for this
unimportant and thankless office. It mattered so little
to the game, which was played according to the individual
preferences of twenty-two players. A team would start
for an out-match minus an umpire, and if the omission
were noticed, the endeavour would probably be made to
collect one en route. But the matter would not be one
for mental disquietude, as it would be nowadays. And
if the umpire of those early days happened to know the
rules and to enforce them, he would, in many cases, quite
spoil the game, because of the constant sounding of the

x8a

THE ART OF UMPIRING 183

whistle. Unless the umpire were very determined, he
would find the game completely out of hand. Round
London the umpiring, as the game itself, was on a higher
plane. In the provinces, however, especially in the more
benighted districts, a condition of things very like anarchy
reigned. A player from a good London club visiting the
West of England, say, would be amazed at the licence
granted by umpires. The latter would allow wholesale
tackling from the left, obstruction, and a certain degree
of charging; and as to keeping a player off the ball to
enable another player to get in his hit, this was the
commonest of practices. But that was all long ago, and,
viewed in the light of modem umpiring, reads like a
romance.

The improvement in umpiring synchronises with the
gradual progress towards perfection of hockey itself.
Possibly the former preceded the latter. Certainly nothing
exerts a more beneficent influence on the game than good
umpiring, and vice versa nothing makes good umpiring
so easy or so pleasant as good hockey. Umpires were
compelled to keep pace with the rules and their many
revisions, and with the growing desire on the part of
players that hockey should take on a more scientific
character. And the acquirement of this character was
largely contingent on the co-operation of umpires. So
on the part of both players and umpires the latter came
to be taken more and more seriously. Players recognised
the fact that an umpire had it in his power to make or
mar a match. Accordingly, it was natural that they should
demand efficiency in umpires. There was a ready response
to their demand, umpires setting to and fitting themselves
for their office, while many retired players volunteered for
service as umpires. And it is really remarkable how the
number of efficient umpires has multiplied during the past
few years. But even so those who umpire with distinction,
who administer the rules according to the spirit of the law,
are as rare as are distinguished persons in other spheres

1 84 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

of activity. Indifferent umpires abound, and of bad ones
there are not a few. This need not excite surprise. A
good umpire is born, not made ; that is to say, the mental
qualifications necessary to good umpiring are native, not
acquired. But before proceeding to a minute study of
what an umpire must be and do, it is necessary to notice
a movement and a development relative to umpires which
has done much to promote good umpiring. This is the
formation of divisional Umpires' Associations. Albeit but
of mushroom growth — the Southern Counties Hockey
Umpires* Association was formed only in 1906 — these
associations have gone far to fulfil the purpose for which
they were instituted, namely, the betterment of umpiring
and the final banishment of the club umpire who acted as
a twelfth man.

As so much authority is vested in the umpire, it is
highly important that he should be strictly impartial and
neutral in his sympathies. And this is just the sort of
umpire the Umpires' Associations make it their business
to provide. Many a tale could be told of the shameless
manner in which matches have been whistled away by
partisan umpires. "Who are you umpiring for?" was
often another way of saying, " Which team's interests are
you looking after ? " or " Which side are you going to
favour ? '* The old order of umpire, thanks largely to the
Umpires' Associations, has given way to the new and fair.
Nor are the Associations* umpires anything but thoroughly
efficient. They must satisfy a very severe test, comprising
umpiring satisfactorily m four club matches, before they
can qualify. Hitherto umpires have not been "fee'd";
they receive only their railway fare. But the day may
come when it will be necessary to pay for their sendees,
although many regard such a prospect with holy horror.
The game is growing, and umpires are none too plentiful.
Furthermore, many players play till they reach the two-
score years, and then probably turn their attention to golf,
instead of to umpiring, as would formerly have been the

THE ART OF UMPIRING 185

case. Golf is probably the main cause of the present
paucity of umpires.

The foundation on which an umpire must build his art
is an accurate and intelligent knowledge of the rules of
the game. He should know the rules by \ eart, have them
at his finger-ends, as well as the several pe^ialties attaching
to the infringement thereof. But as a supplement to his
memory he will do well to carry with him a copy of the
rules. This will give him a sense of confidence, and the
ability to quote chapter and verse to any disputant of
whom he may chance to fall foul. Or some incident may
befal during the course of a game which is so unique as
to catch the umpire at a loss and compel a reference to
the rules. Long experience has taught, too, that nothing
fades so readily from the memory as the rules of a game,
and umpires who aim at thoroughness will make a practice
of reading through the hockey rules at intervals. And
then each year the rules undergo some change or emenda-
tion, which makes a reperusal of them necessary, at any
rate at the beginning of a new season.

To his knowledge of the text of the rules the umpire
must add an appreciation of their spirit. Unless he rightly
apprehends the spirit of the rules, and the wide discretionary
powers they give him, he cannot become a reliable arbiter
of the game. A thorough knowledge of the rules, a right
apprehension of their spirit, and a true conception of his
discretionary powers form the basis of an umpire's pro-
ficiency in what is the most difficult and responsible office
in connection with the game.

The umpire exists simply and solely in the interests of
the players and the game. Let him assimilate that fact
and all it covers. Let him not imagine that the game is of
secondary importance to the vindication of his authority.
This is the view some umpires take. They arrogate to
themselves despotic powers, which are abusive of their
office, galling to the players, and wholly unnecessary to the
well-being of the game. They exist to flaunt their authority.

1 86 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

On every trivial pretext they blow the whistle, and need-
lessly delay the game. A noisy whistle is far worse than
a silent one. And the constant application of the whistle
is a sorry compliment to the players. It is the instrumental
way of saying that they are playing very bad hockey.
These umpires who love to parade their authority and to
pipe on the whistle are small-minded men, with all the
makings of tyrants about them. They are certain to be of
that number who quibble eternally about the rules, and read
into them what is not there. This genus of umpire is a
spoil-sport on the field and a bore off it. Would that he
were altogether a phantom of the imagination !

The umpire must get a mental grip of the cardinal fact
that he is nothing and the game everything. Provided good
clean hockey is being played, the less he advertises his
presence on the field the better. Self-parade must form no
part of his programme. The highest compliment he can
pay to both the players and himself is a minimum use of
the whistle. It is a fact that in first-class hockey the
whistle is often silent for minutes at a time, which, seeing
how strict the rule is regarding obstruction and how easy it
is to infringe it, may be taken as an eloquent tribute to the
quality of the play. The umpire whose mind gladly accepts
the fa^t that he exists for the interests of the play and the
players makes at least a good start in his career.

While warning the umpire against the extreme of over-
whistling, it is also necessary to caution him against a too
restrained use of the whistle. The latter is often weakness
or laxity, and has an ill effect upon the game. Bad habits,
even in the case of good and first-class players, grow apace
when the restraining hand is removed, and slack umpiring
is the most fruitful source of careless, rough, and undis-
ciplined play. This has emphatic illustration when the
Irish teams visit England. The umpiring in Ireland is far
from strict ; in truth, to an English way of thinking, it is
decidedly lax. Consequently Irish players contract a much
looser style of play, especially and chiefly in the matter of

THE ART OF UMPIRING 187

"sticks," a fact of which they are made painfully aware
when they come under the regime of English umpires.

If the play is of such a rough and untutored description
as to call for interference on the part of the umpire, let him
blow his whistle without hesitation. He must be firm.
Above all things the umpire must be this, and strong and
determined. Malpractices must be stamped out, even
though the cost be a running commentary from the whistle.
It is not pleasant this frequent blowing of the whistle and
delaying of the game, either for the umpire or the players ;
but if it is directed against bad hockey, it is on the side of
righteousness and will work for the ultimate good of the
game. The umpire will need to steel himself against the
frowns and grumbling remarks which players will bend
upon him. In time he will acquire a callousness proof
against all animosities. But likely enough his decided and
militant attitude towards bad hockey will have the desired
effect before such callousness has time to flower. A weak
umpire is an enemy to the players, to the game, and to
himself. The umpire must make up his mind by himself.
He must not attempt to draw inspiration or help ^rom the
faces of the players, as some umpires do. This is the essence
of weakness. The only safeguard for the umpire who is
tempted to this weakness is the resolve never to look at the
faces of the players. In some few cases, of course, it will be
in the interests of strict fairness for the umpire to appeal to
the players. For example, when a player was between him
and the ball, and he was thus prevented from seeing whether
the ball went over the goal-line off a defender or an attacker,
the umpire is wise, indeed he is bound, to inquire which
player the ball glanced off And hockey players being
good sportsmen, he is certain to come at the truth. Some-
times, too, he will be uncertain about the roll-in from touch,
and it will be no confession of incompetency for him to
refer to the players. Determined sticklers for the letter of
the law will doubtless exclaim loudly at this liberal inter-
pretation of an umpire's discretionary powers. But the

1 88 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

outcry is beside the mark if the umpire's action makes for
justice. It seems impossible to nail into some people the
idea of justice at all costs — Ju$titia fiat^ mat cesium. You
can never get them to go beyond the narrow limits of the
rules which bind them and shape their actions. Many
hockey umpires are like this. They will not venture upon
independent action, if the rules do not meet or provide for
the emergency. They are either apostles of red-tape, or
else afraid to stray from the stereotyped path of respecta-
bility. Without making a song about it, many an umpire
gives rein to his discretion in directions not suggested in
the rules. If by so doing he helps the ends of justice, his
action cannot be condemned.

Of course there is the abuse of discretionary powers,
but not in the connection just referred to.

What makes the art of umpiring so difficult is this
discretionary power with which the umpire is armed.

The novice is troubled as to when he shall blow the
whistle and when refrain from doing so. The sailing is
quite plain where the attacking side are concerned, but when
the defending side are guilty of infringements there is the
rub. Why should there be a rub? Because of this in-
junction in the umpire's rule: "The umpire shall refrain
from putting the provision of any rule into effect in cases
where he is satisfied that by enforcing it he would be giving
an advantage to the offending team." It is quite obvious
that the need for his observing this injunction is much more
urgent when the defending side are the offenders. " Giving
an advantage to the offending team " implies a disadvantage
to their opponents. This is an important consideration and
one that helps the umpire to a decision. Nothing in the
whole of umpiring is so complex and delicate as this task
of deciding whether an infringement by the defending side-
is to be punished or allowed to pass. And the fact of
instant decision being necessary does not make the task
less difficult.

Experience has taught that the only fair course is for

THE ART OF UMPIRING 189

the umpire to pause just lonjj enough to see what is likely'
to be the effect of the infringement. If it benefits the
offending side, then it is only just to their opponents that
a penalty should be awarded them. But if the infringement
neither helps the former nor hinders the latter, then it
should be suffered to go unpunished, provided the penalty
were likely to be of less material value to the attacking side
than the continuity of the game. A concrete instance will
help to a clearer understanding.

Inside right runs down and reaches the circle. Just as
he is on the point of shooting, the opposing left back tackles
him on his left side, and in so doing charges him off the
ball, thereby being guilty of a foul and spoiling the intended
shot. Now, is the umpire to penalise this offence, or is he
to refrain from doing so ? If he is of opinion that inside
right stands a better chance of scoring a goal by going
straight on than by engaging in a penalty bully, he must
keep silence. If only his action could be decided by the
wishes of inside right, he would be relieved of all responsi-
bility. And there is one way of knowing the wishes of
inside right, or of any forward who chances to be thus
wrongfully tackled. If that forward appeals, it may be
assumed that he desires the foul to be given. Were this
universally understood — that a foul of this sort is to be
given only when claimed — the umpire's lot would be a
happier one. Experience and careful observation help an
umpire in nine cases out of ten to a right decision.

In addition to his copy of the rules and his whistle, the
umpire includes in his insignia of office a ring, supplied by
the Umpires' Association, or obtainable in the ordinary
way. This ring is two inches in diameter, and is used for
testing suspicious-looking sticks. If a stick will not pass
through this ring, the umpire must forbid its owner to play
with it. And it is very certain that hundreds of sticks
would not survive the test. Many players delight to swathe
their stick blades in some kind of surgical whipping, and as
the majority of sticks are made as wide as the laws allow,

I90 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

it is obvious that numbers of these padded sticks would
not pass through the umpire's ring. Happily for these
playerS) few umpires carry a ring, and if they do, are very
reluctant to employ it.

There are two umpires at hockey, and not one referee
as in football. The game is so quick and the ball travels
so fast from one end or side of the ground to the other tibat
it is quite impossible for a single umpire to take the whole
ground with any satisfaction either to himself or the
players.

Under the present system each umpire takes one-half of
the ground under his charge and the whole of one touch-
line. When the game is being waged on the far side of the
half-way line — in the half, that is, which is not under his
surveillance — the umpire has nothing to do save look after
his touch-line. This system is easily the best of those
which have been tried. The best place for an umpire to
take up his position is a few yards from the touch-line.
He must avoid getting mixed up with the players or in any
way hampering them or interfering with the game. The
only way to do this is to keep well to the side of the
ground. Some umpires run about in a fussy and excited
way^ right in the thick of the game, much to the annoyance
and balking of the players. The umpire should close in
only when the game is in and near the circle. All good
umpires do this, and for the obvious reason that it is then
of the last importance that they should miss nothing of
what goes on ; so they must watch the game at close
quarters. Fussiness and excitability are altogether wrong
qualities for an umpire. Above all things he must be cool-
headed, while the quieter he is in his demeanour the better.
He needs to maintain his mind in a calm, judicial habit,
allowing himself neither to be carried away by the exciting
nature of the play, nor to be influenced by any appeals which
the players may make. And players do appeal, despite the
fact that the rules enjoin the umpire to act independently
of appeals, and will continue to appeal so long as human

THE ART OF UMPIRING 191

nature bears the character it has borne for some thousands
of years.

Time was when play was under appeal, when the umpire
was so shackled that he could not sound his whistle unless
appealed to by the players. Gross infringements of the
rules might go on under his nose, and all sorts of illegal
practices, which he was powerless to punish or curb unless
the players appealed. Such a monstrous condition of things
militated against the welfare of the game, flying as it did
straight in the face of law and order. What in the wide
world was the good of rules if they could be violated with
impunity ! But time and experience brought counsel, and
for several years now the umpire has been the sole arbiter
of the game. Players still appeal, and do so because they
cannot forbear. Possibly they think the umpire will not
be proof against their importunity. Certainly a weak
umpire is more likely to blow his whistle in response to an
appeal than if no such bias were levied upon him. A more
sinister construction may be put upon the constant appeal-
ing of some players. Their object may well be to bluff
the umpire into decisions favourable to them. But hockey
is purely an amateur sport, which should mean a pure
sport, and it is pleasanter to discredit the presence of such
black sheep in the hockey flock.

When once the umpire has formed a decision, let him
cleave to it, even though there be a contrary appeal from
eleven lusty throats. The umpire may, of course, revoke
his decision. To do so is more often a sign of strength
than of weakness. An example of this may be quoted.
From a corner the attacking side scored; the goal was
sanctioned by the umpire and duly recorded. But the
umpire noticed an air of discontent about the defending
side, and as he had previously observed that they did not
charge down the corner hit with much heartiness or
unanimity, his suspicions were aroused that all was not
right. These suspicions were at once confirmed by the
captain of the attacking side approaching him and

192 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

explaining that the defenders had not been ready for the
corner, which had been taken before two of their number
were the right side of the goal-line. This explanation was
backed by a request on the part of this very sporting
captain that the comer hit should be taken again. In the
circumstances, and seeing that the fault was his, the
umpire cancelled his decision and allowed the comer to be
replayed. As he acted in the interests of fair-play, his
action must be applauded by all except a few fanatics.

The most frequent appeal by players is the appeal for
" off-side." Since the appealing player, generally speaking,
has his back to part of the game, and cannot therefore
know the whereabouts of players behind him, his appeal is
nothing more nor less than a random shot in the dark.
The umpire will ignore such appeals. He has the whole of
the game in front of him.

The question of off-side is the most difficult one the
umpire must decide. Only long practice and experience
will make it easy for him. The crux of the off-side
question is the whereabouts of the player when the ball was
hit If the umpire is to obviate the risk of mistakes in the
matter of off-side, he must run along on a line with the
forwards and keep raking this line with his eyes, noting
where each of the other forwards is relative to the forward
who is in possession of the ball and to the players of tiie
defending side. And all the time he is doing thi$ he must
also be on the watch for any of the many other illegalities
with which the game abounds. The off-side rule says
that "When a player hits or rolls-in the ball, any other
player of the same team who is nearer his opponent's goal-
line than the striker or roUer-in at the moment when the
ball is hit or rolled-in is off-side, unless there be at least
three of his opponents nearer to their own goal-line than'
he is." That is clear and simple enough. The great
difficulty of the off-side question from the umpire's point of
view is that he must keep under his observation the player
with the ball, all the confreres of that player who chance to

THE ART OF UMPIRING 193

be ahead of him, as well as the defending players. His
objective, in a word, is to decide whether the player to
whom the ball is passed had or had not the requisite
number of players between himself and the opposite goal
at the moment the ball was hit. It simplifies an umpire's
task to watch for some little time beforehand players in a
suspicious position — players, that is, who are near the end
of the tether allowed them by the off-side rule. The most
puzzling variation of off-side is that exemplified by a
player who, off-side when the ball was hit, runs back into
an on-side position and plays the ball before it has been
touched by any other player. To the spectators this will
often look like a mistake on the umpire's part. But the
latter is not concerned with the opinions of the irresponsible
onlooker.

The umpire need not wait till an off-side player is
within 5 yards of the ball before blowing his whistle.
If a player in an off-side position " in any way interfere with
any other player," he must be penalised. And if such a
player by running towards the ball, even though he be a
score of yards away from it, alter what would otherwise
have been the tactics of his opponents, he is interfering
with them, and the umpire is right in giving him off-side.
Many umpires fail to understand this, not regarding any
player as off-side until within 5 yards of the ball. There
are times, of course, when a player in an off-side position
will run towards the ball, provided he is outside the 5 -yards
limit, without in any way affecting the play. Another point
which many umpires, and player? too, miss is that which
has necessitated the insertion in the off-side rule of the words,
written between brackets, "subject to the 5 -yards rule."
To be exact, the point is this : that if a player in an off-side
position gain any advantage from the fact, he must be
given off-side. For example, a player is in an off-side
position a yard or two from the goal-mouth, when one of
his fellow-forwards shoots from, say, the middle of the circle.
The goal-keeper stops the shot, but before he can clear the
13

194 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

off-side player dashes in and nets the ball. Of course it is
no goal, although many an umpire will allow it. The
common idea is that the mere fact of an opposing player
hitting the ball in every case converts the off-side player
into an on-side player. Nothing of the sort ! If that were
so, the spirit and intention of the off-side rule would be
hopelessly subverted. The umpire needs to be very much
alive to the true meaning of every phase of the off-side rule,
and equally alive to the fact of players who hang about in
off-side positions with an eye to the main chance. These
are the pirates of the hockey-field.

Illegalities which the umpire must rigidly check are
circling on the ball, turning on the ball, blocking the ball
with the foot, and tackling wrongfully on a player's left, to
name those which are so common and so destructive of
good hockey. It is delightful, as well as a liberal lesson in
the umpire's craft, to watch M. Baker, a famous English
umpire, officiating in this capacity, and dropping like a hot
brick upon these and all other illegalities. No one umpire
has done so much in cleansing English hockey from ail
undesirable excrescences as this " King of the Whistle," as
he has been aptly styled. They say that ginger stands
for pluck. So far as Baker is concerned, the assertion is
amply confirmed, because he is as plucky and as ruddy-
headed as the gods could make him. He is very hard on
the wrong-doer, and his courage in subjugating the great
ones is of the highest British order. Once upon a time,
when England was playing Ireland and the hard-hitting
brothers Peterson were helping the latter country at full
back. Baker had a unique opportunity of showing of what
courageous stuff he was made. On that occasion the
brothers Peterson were holding high carnival in " sticks " in
the half of the ground remote from England's great umpire.
The lust of hitting was upon them, and higher and higher
flew their sticks, to the peril of the empyrean above them.
Seemingly blind to these celestial happenings, and with his
eyes bent upon mundane matters, the Irish umpire put no

THE ART OF UMPIRING 195

obstacle in the way of the Petersons. The amazement of
the spectators at this Irish licence mounted with the
increasing elevation of the sticks. The half-time interval
was busy with wonderings as to what would happen when
the game was renewed. Baker knew. Nothing escaped
his eagle eye, the eye that looks battle and no quarter to
delinquents. No sooner was the second half entered upon
than commenced the subjugation of the Petersons. Baker
whistled them into a style of hitting that satisfied English
ideas.

And no umpire ambitious to do honour to his office
could take a better all-round model than M. Baker. You
have only to look at his decisive chin and strongly marked
eyebrows to know that he has a granite determination.
And this is what an umpire wants. There is no fuss about
Baker, and he does not delay the game for trifles. He
is quick, and always in the best place for viewing the
game.

It has already been stated that the less the whistle is
blown the better. The umpire is under no obligation to
whistle at every break or each resumption in the game.
He should start the game with the whistle and end it by
the same means, and use it for any infringement he sees fit
to punish. It is usual, too, to sound it when a goal has
been scored; but apart from these occasions he need
scarcely ever blow it. The blowing of the whistle at a
corner hit is very confusing, often being mistaken by the
defenders as a sign that they have started to charge out too
soon. The simplest and best way to start a corner hit is
either by word of mouth, using the word " Play," or by a
signal of the hand, or by silence, the whistle being used to
stop the proceedings in the event of any irregularity. And
the umpire will announce by word of mouth whether, when
the ball has passed over the goal- line, it is a corner or a
bye. Should a player be hurt, he will sound his whistle
to stop the game, and he will sound it also when
players continue playing unaware that the ball is dead,

196 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

having gone over the touch- or goal-line, as the case
may be.

The umpire will find his marching orders in Rule 21.
Even a close study of this rule will probably leave some
doubt in his mind as to one or two points. May he, for
example, curtail the second half of a game if the first half
has been over-long? The rule explicitly states that the
time is to be " neither more nor less " than that agreed
upon, and yet when the other umpire has made a mistake,
through forgetfulness, to the extent possibly of ten minutes,
but refuses to admit his error, it is clear that the rule is, in
this respect, infringed. If the culprit acknowledges his
mistake and knows exactly how much overtime has been
played, the other umpire is right in abridging the second
half, although his action would work most unfairly in the
event of the ground sloping one way and the sun and wind
favouring the slope. A strong solution of discretion on the
part of the umpire is very necessary to the rules of hockey.
Then he will notice that the rules do recognise the appeal,
and to such an extent that they enjoin him to be guided
by it. Unhappy umpire, tossed hither and thither on the
waters of doubt and paradoxy! When an umpire is
doubtful, he is to decide in favour of the team appealed
against, so says Rule 21. This can refer only to bona fide
appeals, made for some palpable infringement which the
appealers clearly saw.

If the umpires* rule is to be taken in its strictest sense,
then the umpire may not give any advice to any player
between the first and the final whistle. Not even at the
half-time interval may he relax this rule. And this is only
just. His opportunities for forming a critical opinion of
the play and players are special and unique, and it would
be manifestly unfair were he to turn these opportunities to
the account of one of the players or one of the teams. An
umpire might offer advice or make a suggestion as to some
change in the disposition of the players of one of the teams
which would affect the result of the match. The umpire is

THE ART OF UMPIRING 197

frequently asked his opinion on the field. He must refuse
to be drawn. Coaching, which is forbidden him, surely
includes advice.

Hockey is far and away the most difficult game to
umpire. The best of umpires make mistakes every match,
mistakes either of omission or commission. So novices
may take heart of grace, and solace themselves with the
reflection that they make mistakes in good company, and
that perfection is not expected of them.

CHAPTER XV
REMINISCENCES AND INCIDENTS

IT was somewhere in the eighties that I first set eyes on
a hockey stick, and in the ancient city of Hereford.
I can recall the exact spot almost, scarce a stone's-
throw from the Bishop's palace, where this curved and
meaningless weapon met my curious gaze. I had heard of
hockey. The game, or some hybrid form of it, had been
played in the playground of the Cathedral school, but had
either been voluntarily abandoned by the boys themselves,
or else been vetoed by the Headmaster, on account of the
serious bodily injuries it involved. But the ornate weapon
I then saw for the first time was so unlike the crude hockey
stick of my knowledge, that, unless it were some sort of
boomerang, I could give no name or trade to it. And
then it was carried by a very theatrical-looking person,
which tended to increase the mystery. Enlightenment was
speedily to come. F. R. Benson, the well-known Shake-
spearean actor, was playing in Hereford, and that very day
the Cathedral school received a challenge to a hockey
match with his company. So herein lay the solution of
the mystery. The theatrical person "was a member of
Benson's company, and the weapon he carried a hockey
stick.

Whether or no the match was played I am unable to
recall; probably not, as puritanical ideas were more pre-
valent then than now, and " actor " stood for all sorts of
ungodly qualities.

My next experience of hockey was a practical one —

198

REMINISCENCES AND INCIDENTS 199

actual participation in the game. This was subsequent to
my Cambridge days, and in the middle nineties.

And how primitive the hockey we played in that
sequestered corner of Herefordshire, on the very borders of
Wales ! We were absolutely self-taught, save for some
smattering knowledge of the game imported by a doctor
who had played for his Hospital. We played by the light
of nature, and often the light had a ruddy and heathenish
glow. Oh ! it was a pagan proceeding when the passions
ran riot, as they not infrequently did. A match that
passed without the breaking of sticks or heads was voted
a dull business. The timid members of the team were
terrorised by the bashing tactics employed, more especially
by the heavy-weights. Deliberate smashing at a stick was
a common practice. Incidents of those days, which at the
time seemed very much like a tragedy, take on, in retro-
spect, the appearance of comedy. One player, I remember,
had a nasty trick of throwing his stick at the ball when he
could not reach it in the legitimate manner. On one
occasion he carried this trick too far. He threw his stick
once, and his opponents accepted his explanation that it
had slipped from his grip. He threw it a second time,
but his previous explanation did not carry conviction.
The game was delayed while the captains took counsel and
warned the errant member. For a time this warning was
observed, until in a heated moment it was forgotten, and
for a third time this hurler of sticks succumbed to tempta-
tion. In a body the opposing team left the field. There
was no argument, no further talking, only this silent exit
of the visiting team, and the abrupt termination of the
match.

But the incident did not end there. It had its sequel.
It got into print, and harsh things were said of the " javelin-
thrower," who was in reality nothing worse than an ex-
citable player who lost himself in the lust of battle. He
was greatly incensed by the misleading press comments,
and vowed vengeance upon their author. High and low he

200 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

sought him, up hill and down dale, to have his blood, but
found him not. So the final scene was never written.

Nor did the ground on which we played our hockey
tend to nurture or refine our game. It was an improvisa-
tion, carved out of a coarse and common meadow, and very
little carving at that. On the wings the grass was so long
that the ball was often hidden from view. So rough was
the surface that habitual fielding with the stick was never
dreamed of As the district was one of Association foot-
ball and as most of our players had been brought up on
that game, fielding was usually done with the feet. Turn-
ing on the ball was rampant, and tackling from the left.
It was rough-and-tumble hockey in those days, although
two or three members of the club tried hard, and ultimately
with no little success, to give a better tone to the play.
But meanwhile we got good exercise, plenty of fun, and
rather more injuries than we cared about.

One player there was who occasionally assisted us, a
professional strong man, who would turn hand-springs over
his stick at odd moments to diversify the proceedings, or
distract his opponents, or perchance amuse the spectators.
Certainly such acrobatic feats on the hockey-field had the
virtue of novelty.

A most laughable incident once occurred in a match in
which I was taking part. One of the players, a hard-
bitten, sporting country parson, was struck a severe blow
with the ball, in the mouth — scarcely a " laughable
incident " for him. Up went his hand to his mouth, and
into its palm he spluttered forth a mouthful of teeth — a
complete artificial set. Thrusting the wreckage into his
pocket, he resumed playing as though nothing unusual had
happened.

The same player was due to conduct an evening
service in his church, after an out- match. The match was
over late, and to suit his convenience the whole team
boarded the attendant brake without changing into mufti,
and driving with all possible speed to the distant church.

REMINISCENCES AND INCIDENTS 201

arrived there just in the nick of time. Vaulting the
churchyard wall, the curator of souls had speedily veiled
his mud-plastered knees and uncleric attire in a surplice,
and assumed his sacred functions.

Incidents worth recounting were of far more frequent
occurrence in the earlier than in the later days of the
game.

A famous cricketer, who has on several occasions
figured in the Gentlemen and Players' match, was making
his first hockey appearance for a prominent Southern club.
During the progress of the match, an opponent dealt him,
from behind, a violent and gratuitous blow across the back
of his hand. "What the blazes are you playing at?"
with considerable warmth, was the very natural interroga-
tion to escape the victim of this wanton assault. " Well,
Blank has just done the same thing to me," was the very
ingenuous reply. And, as the subject of this little incident
remarked to me, " I realised that there was still a thing
or two I had to learn about hockey." Apparently, and
of course erroneously, he did not think them worth learning,
as he forsook hockey and took to golf, at which game he
is now a scratch player. Naturally, he thinks he has
chosen the better part.

I was playing once in Wales, in Monmouthshire I
think it was. Anyhow, it was where hockey light shone
with a very faltering flame. The ground was frozen hard
and the ball flew about in alarming fashion, ricochetting
over the surface with lightning rapidity. Whenever the
opposing centre forward, a peppery little Welsh doctor,
and my special charge, dribbled the ball near me, he
would whack it straight at my shins in the hope of getting
it on the rebound, and of finding me at a disadvantage
after such cavalier treatment. I resented this very un-
pleasant method of attack, and with pardonable asperity
suggested that he should " play the game." This heated
him to another kind of attack, and in highly coloured
phrases he summed up my character, and concluded by

202 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

advising me to go home to my mother and play with a
soft ball in the nursery. Hot tempers are not a Welsh
monopoly, and had not wiser counsels prevailed we should
have adjourned to the cowshed at the side of the ground
which did duty for a dressing-room, and settled our differ-
ences in the good old-fashioned way. " A word in your
ear," said a member of my team : '* next time that little
spitfire hits the ball at you, you whack him over the knees
with your stick." And that was the spirit of retaliation
in which much of the early hockey was played, more
especially in the provinces.

It was the custom, just as it is now, for players to
practise shooting at goal prior to a match. In those early
days of which I am writing this custom partook of a
positively criminal carelessness, which often eventuated
in painful, sometimes serious, injuries. I can remember
one very bad accident which occurred as the result of gross
carelessness of this nature. The umpire, and quite an
excellent one for the period, was standing in conversation
with a player when he was violently struck in the face by
the ball hit at close quarters without any warning cry having
been given. He was so grievously hurt and cut about
that he was obliged to leave the ground and visit a doctor.
But that was not all. White and bandaged, he arrived
home, and so alarming was his appearance that his wife
received a shock which cost her a serious illness, and her
husband a heavy doctor's bill.

It is impossible to condemn too heartily that thought-
less and often aimless slogging which precedes a match.
The dangers of hockey are, albeit far less than they were,
quite bad enough without players manufacturing worse
ones before a match is entered upon.

When Alan Jenkins, the finest back ever produced by
the West, came into Herefordshire, there came an influence
which was felt throughout the county. It was remarkable
the way this one player transformed the Herefordshire
style of play and ideas about the game. He infused us

REMINISCENCES AND INCIDENTS 203

with new principles altogether, took us in hand and taught
us on and off the field, by word and by practical illustration,
what a good and scientific game hockey could be.

Thanks to his influence and leadership, and his personal
prowess, this humble county were soon able to make a
fair show against Warwickshire, Shropshire, Worcester-
shire, Gloucestershire, Somersetshire. And something
similar to this must be the story of many a county —
ignorance, rough and untutored methods of play, and then
the advent of some player or players whose superior know-
ledge of the game illuminates the darkness, introduces the
science of hockey and a resulting period of prosperity.

I remember the first time I saw Jenkins use the reverse
stroke — I thought it wonderful, and went away and talked
enthusiastically about its wonder. I had never seen the
stroke before, never dreamed of its existence. Such was
mine and the prevailing ignorance. And now, of course,
the veriest beginner essays the reverse stroke.

If it were possible to tap the memory and experiences
of half a dozen of the " ancients " — those who played hockey
in the seventies and early eighties — what a flow of unique
and humorous incidents would be the result !

I have been fortunate in tapping the memory of one
of these "ancients," to wit the Rev. A. E. Bevan. He
relates how he once had the unwelcome experience of
" heading " a ball out of goal. " I had run out," so goes
his story, " and cleared, when our opponents* outside right,
dashing up, centred hard, and whilst I was running across
the mouth of the goal I received a stinging blow on the
side of my head, the ball glancing over the top of the net."

A player in a fencing mask would create as much
wonder at the present day on the hockey-field as would
a redskin chief in full war-paint in Piccadilly. And yet
Mr. Bevan met such an one in the past. "On inquiry,"
he says, " I learnt that, having had his nose broken some
time previously, he had adopted such a means of protection
rather than give up hockey. Possibly," adds Mr. Bevan,

204 THE COMPr>ETE HOCKEY PLAYER

"in years to come goal-keepers may adopt the form of
headgear used in single-sticks, and made of buffalo-hide.
This would enable them to ' head ' the ball away without
fear of hurtful consequences."

To quote another of Mr. Bevan's memories : " I was
playing at Aldershot against a team of soldiers. Our
opponents, who were using oak sticks, suggested that at
half-time we should change weapons. This was accordingly
done, but with no real difference to the result ; for although
we could not hit so hard, our combination did not materially
suffer."

An amusing anecdote comes from Ireland in connection
with the crack Irish touring club which plays under the
name of "Buccaneers." Members of this club wear red
stockings, and it is in connection with these stockings that
the incident occurred which constitutes the anecdote referred
to. In one of the Leinster versus Ulster matches the red
stockings of W. M. Johnstone, a member of the " Buccaneers,"
were becoming uncomfortably prominent — that is, from an
Ulster point of view. This prominence attracted a certain
Ulster half-back, who proceeded to apply his stick rather
freely to the shins of the too speedy Johnstone. To the
subsequent remonstrances of the Ulster captain, who was
also a " Buccaneer," the delinquent half-back replied that he
really could not help it, as red stockings were " so darned
easy to hit." Here is another " Buccaneer " incident : —

Some years ago now the "Buccaneers" were touring round
London, and the never-to-be-forgotten " Mary Mitchell,"
who does so much for English players when they visit
Dublin, wag one of the team. The team, by the way,
consisted of about 9 backs and 2 forwards. Mitchell,
a full-back, played centre forward, the game being v,
Surbiton. Things were going badly for the red-stockinged
team, Surbiton having collected many goals. Mitchell
took counsel with himself, and decided that the only thing
to be done was to try the famous " Trinity Rush." This,
being interpreted, means that one forward starts dribbling

REMINISCENCES AND INCIDENTS 205

the ball with another forward in close attendance behind
him. When No. i forward is tackled, it is No. 2's duty to
nip in and try and get the ball. If successful, he then
dashes off, followed closely by No. i, and the same, tactics
are repeated until they achieve their desire, viz. a goal. It
is pleasant to relate that in this case " Mary Mitchell " was
rewarded with their solitary goal.

Reversing the conventional order of things and keeping
the ladies to the end, here is a little story which bears
every mark of authenticity, but which may be accepted or
rejected according to individual taste. Were all lady
hockey players, queried a friend of mine the other day,
like a team he ran into in the bar parlour of a country-
side inn? This was the scene which leapt up and hit him
in the eye — a horsily dressed female, presumably the captain
and leader, sitting on the table swinging her legs, and
grouped around her in masculine attitudes and masculine
attire the other members of the team. Just as he entered
the mom he heard the horsy lady call out in strident tones,
" Well, girls, what's your poison ? "

CHAPTER XVI
RULES OF THE GAME, AND NOTES THEREON

RULES OF THE GAME

1. Teams. — A game of hockey shall be played by two teams of eleven
players. The correct constitution of a team is five forwards, three half-
backs, two backs, and a goal-keeper, but this formation shall not be
compulsory. The duration of the game shall be 70 minutes (unless
otherwise agreed by the respective captains), half-time being called after
35 minutes' play, when the teams shall change ends.

2. Captains. — The captains shall (i) toss for choice of ends ; (2) act
as umpires, if there be no umpires, or delegate the duties of umpires to
one member of their respective teams ; and (3) indicate the goal-keepers
for their respective teams before starting play, and after any change of
goal-keeper.

3. Ground. — The ground shall be rectangular, 100 yards long and
not more than 60 yards, nor less than 55 yards, wide. The ground
shall be marked with white lines in accordance with plan given ; the
longer boundary lines to be called the side-lines, and the shorter
boundary lines to be called the goal-lines. A flag-post shall be placed
for the whole game at each comer, and at the centre of each side-line,
I yard outside the line, and any other flag-posts must be a yard
outside the ground. All flag-posts shall be at least 4 feet
high.

4. GoalSy PostSy etc. — A goal shall be in the centre of each goal-line,
and shall consist of two posts 4 yards apart (inside measurement),
joined together by a horizontal cross bar 7 feet from the ground. The
goal-posts shall not extend upward beyond the cross bar, nor the cross
bar sideways beyond the goal-posts. The posts shall be 2 inches
square, and the cross bars shall have rectangular edges. Nets shall
be attached to the posts, cross bars^ and to the ground behind the
goals.

5. Striking Circle. — In front of each goal shall be drawn a white line
4 yards long, parallel to, and 15 yards from, the goal-line. This line

ao6

RULES OP THE GAME 207

shall be continued each way to meet the goal-line by quarter-circles,
having the goal-posts as centres. The space enclosed by these lines
and the goal-lines, including the lines themselves, shall be called the
striking circle.

6. Ball. — The ball shall be a leather cricket ball, painted white, or
made of white leather.

6. Penalty. — Umpires shall forbid the use of any other ball.

7. Sticks, — A stick shall have a flat face on its left-hand side only,
and shall have no metal or other fittings, or weights, or sharp edges, or
dangerous splinters. Each stick must be of such size that it can be
passed through a 2-inch ring. An indiarubber ring, 4 inches in external
diameter when on the stick, may be used, but, ajl fittings included, the
total weight must not exceed 28 oz.

7. Penalty. — Umpires shall prohibit play with a stick which

does not comply with this rule.

8. Boots^ etc. — No player shall wear any dangerous material, such as
spikes or nails, etc.

9. Bully off. — The game shall be started by one player of each team
together bullying the ball in the centre of the ground (and after each
goal and half-time). To bully the ball, each player shall strike the
ground on his own side of the ball, and his opponent's stick over the
ball three times alternately ; after «vhich, one of these two players must
strike the ball before it is in general play. In all cases of bullying, the
two players who are bullying shall stand squarely facing the side-lines.
Every other player shall be nearer to his own goal-line than the ball is
(except in the case of a penalty bully).

9. Penalty.— For any breach of this rule the "bully" shall be
taken again.

10. Goal. — A goal is scored when the whole ball has passed entirely
over the goal -line under the bar, the ball, whilst within the striking
circle, having been hit by or glanced off the stick of an attacker. Should
the goal-posts or bar become displaced, and the ball pass at a point
which, in the opinion of the umpire, is between where the posts or
below where the bar should have been, he shall give a goal.

11. Off-side. — When a player . hits 'or rolls-in the ball, any other
player of the same team who is nearer his opponent's goal-line than the
striker or roUer-in at the moment when the ball is hit or rolled-in is off-
side, unless there be at least three of his opponents nearer to their own
goal-line than he is. He may not be within 5 yards of the ball, nor in
any way interfere with any other player until the ball has been touched
or hit by one of his opponents. No player, however, shall be off-side in
his own half ot the ground, nor if the ball was last touched or hit by one
of his opponents (subject to the 5-yards rule), or by one of his own team
who, at the time of hitting, is nearer his opponent's goal-line than
himself.

2o8 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

11. Penalty.—

Inside or outside the circles —

For any breach the penalty shall be a free hit by one
of the opposing team on the spot where the breach
occurred.
12. General Details. — The ball may be caught (but must be immedi-
ately released to fall perpendicularly to the ground) or stopped, but may
not be picked up, carried, kicked, thrown, or knocked on or back, except
with the stick. No player shall gain an advantage by the use of any
part of his person or apparel except such as may accr.ue from stopping
the ball ; the foot, if used for that purpose, shall be taken away
immediately. There shall be no play with the rounded back of the
stick, no charging, kicking, shoving, shinning, tripping, personal
handling, or hooking. Hooking sticks is allowed only when the stick
hooked is within striking distance of the ball. There shall be no
striking at sticks. A player may not obstruct by running in between his
opponent and the ball, nor cross his opponent's left, unless he touches
the ball before his opponent's person or stick, nor may he in any way
interpose himself as an obstruction. The goal-keeper is allowed to kick
' the ball only in his own striking circle, but in the event of his taking
part in a penalty bully this privilege shall not be allowed him. A ball
touching an umpire or post is in play unless it goes off the ground. No
player shall in any way interfere with the game unless his stick is in
his hand.

12. Penalties.—

(i) Outside the circles —

For any breach the penalty shall be a free hit for one
of the opposing team on the spot where the breach
occurred.

(2) Inside the circles —

{a) For any breach by the attacking team the penalty
shall be a free hit for the defending team.

{b) For any breach by the defending team the penalty
shall be a "penalty corner" or a "penalty bully"
on the spot where the breach occurred. A
penalty bully should only be given for a wilful
breach of a rule or when a goal would most
probably have been scored but for the occurrence
of the breach of the rule.

(3) Inside or outside the circles —

In the event of two players being simultaneously at

fault in obstructing each other, the umpire shall

give a bully at the spot where the breach of rule

occurred.

13. 5/iV>b.--When a player strikes at the ball, no part of his stick

RULES OF THE GAME 209

must in any event rise above his shoulders at either the beginning or
end of the stroke.

14. Undercutting. — No player shall intentionally undercut the ball.

Note, — This rule is not intended to penalise the "scoop**
stroke which raises the ball nor the hitting of the
ball when in the air, except as provided for in Rule 1 5.
13 and 14. Penalties.—

(i) Outside the circles —

For any breach the penalty shall be a free hit for one
of the opposing team on the spot where the breach
occurred.
(2) Inside the circles —

(a) For any breach by the attacking team the penalty

shall be a free hit for the defending team.
ip) For any breach by the defending team the penalty
shall be a " penalty comer " or a "penalty bully **
(except in the case of "sticks," when a "penalty
comer" only shall be allowed). A "penalty
bully " should only be given for a wilful breach
of a rule, or when a goal would most probably
have been scored but for the occurrence of the
breach of the rule.

1 5. Free Hit. — On the occasion of a free hit, no other player than
the striker shall be within 5 yards of the spot where such hit is made,
and the striker must not touch the ball again until it has been touched
or hit by another player. He must fairly hit the ball, " scooping " up
not being allowed. If the striker hit at but miss the ball, the stroke
shall be taken again by him, provided that he has not given " sticks."

15. Penalty. — If any player other than the striker be within
5 yards of the ball at the time of a free hit, the unlpire shall
order the hit to be taken again.
If the striker, after taking such hit, touches the ball again
' before it has been touched or hit by another player —
(i) Inside the circles —

The umpire shall give a " penalty comer."
(2) Outside the circles —

The umpire shall give a free hit to one of the
opposite team to the offender.
If the ball is " scooped up " —
(i) Outside the circles —

The umpire shall give a free hit to one of the
opposite side to the offender.
(2) Inside the circles —

The umpire shall give a " penalty comer."

16. Penalty Bully. — A penalty bully shall be played by the offender,

14

2IO THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

and by any player selected by the other team on the spot where the
breach occuired. All other players shall be outside the striking circle
in the field of play, and shall not enter the striking circle or take any
further part in the game until the ball is driven outside the striking
circle.

i6. Penalty.---

(a) Breach of any rule by defending team (except Rule 9)— -

The attacking team shall be awarded a penalty goal,

which shall be of the same value as an ordinary goal.

(d) Breach of any rule by attacking team (except Rule 9) —

The defending team shall be allowed a free hit.

17. Roll-in. — When a ball passes wholly over the side-line, it shall
be rolled-in along the ground (and not bounced) into play by hand from
the point where it crossed the side-line in any direction, by one of the
team opposite to that of the player who last touched it. Players may
cross the 5-yards line immediately the ball leaves the hand of the roller-
in. The ball may be rolled-in at once, but no player shall stand (himself
or his stick) within the 5-yards line ; should, however, the umpire consider
that a player is standing within the 5-yards line to gain time, he shall not
stop the game. The roller-in must have both feet and stick behind the
side-line, and may only play the ball again after another player.

17. Penalties.—

{a) Breach of the rule by the player who roUs-in —

The roll-in shall be taken by a player of the other team.
{b) Breach of the rule by any other player —

The roll-in shall be taken again, except as specially
provided for in this rule.

18. Behind. — {a) If the ball is hit behind the goal-line by a player of
the attacking team, or glance off the stick or person of, or be uninten-
tionally, in the umpire's opinion, hit behind the goal-line by one of the
defending team who is farther away from his own goal-line than the
25-yards line, it shall be brought out 25 yards in a direction at right
angles to the goal-line from the point where it crossed the line and there
"buUied."

{b) If the ball glances off, or is, in the umpire's opinion, uninten-
tionally sent behind the goal-line by any player of the defending
team behind the 25-yards line, he (the umpire) shall give a comer to
the attacking team.

ic) If, however, the ball is intentionally, in the umpire's opinion,
sent behind the goal-line by any player of the defending team, the
umpire shall give a penalty comer to the attacking team.

Provided that no player shall stand within 5 yards of the striker
when a corner hit is taken, and that no goal can be scored from a comer
hit by the attacking team unless the ball has been stopped motionless
on the ground by one of the attacking team, or has touched the person

RULES OF THE GAME 211

or stick of one of the defending team before the last stroke of the attack-
ing team. A player hitting a comer hit cannot participate in the game
again until the ball has been played by another player. On hitting a
comer hit, if the hitter miss the ball he shall take the hit again, provided
he does not contravene Rule 13.

19. Comer. — A player of the attacking team shall have a hit from a
point on the side- or goal-line within 3 yards of the nearest comer flag,
and at the moment of such hit all the defending team (their sticks and
feet) must be behind their own goal-line, and all the attacking team
must be outside the circle in the field of play.

Provided that no player shall stand within 5 yards of a striker when
a comer hit is taken, and that no goal can be scored from a comer hit
by the attacking team unless the ball has been stopped motionless on
the ground by one of the attacking team, or has touched the person or
stick of one of the defending team before the last stroke of the attacking
team. A player hitting a comer hit cannot participate in the game
again until the ball has been played by another player. On hitting a
comer hit, if the hitter miss the ball he shall take the hit again, provided
he does not contravene Rule 13.

19. Penalty.— If the striker, after taking such hit, touches the

ball again before it has been touched or hit by another
player, the umpire shall give a free hit to one of the opposite
team to the offender.

20. Penalty Comer. — A player of the attacking team shall have a
hit from any point on the goal-line he may choose, and at the moment
of such hit all the defending team (their sticks and feet) must be behind
their own goal-line, also all the attacking team must be outside the
striking circle in the field of play.

Provided that no player shall stand within 5 yards of the striker
when a penalty corner hit is taken, and that no penalty comer hit shall
be taken at a less distance than 5 yards from the nearest goal-post, and
that no goal can be scored from a comer hit by the attacking team
unless the ball has been stopped motionless on the ground by one of
the attacking team, or has touched the person or stick of one of the
defending team before the last stroke of the attacking team. A player
hitting a penalty corner hit cannot participate in the game again until
the ball has been played by another player. On hitting a penalty comer
hit, if the hitter miss the ball he shall take the hit again, provided he
does not contravene Rule 13.

20. Penalty.— If the striker, after taking such hit, touches the

ball again before it has been touched or hit by another
player, the umpire shall give a free hit to one of the opposite
team to the offender.

21. Umpires. — Each umpire shall take half the ground for the whole
game without changing ends. He shall also take one side-line and give

212 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

decisions re the roll-in (but not the corner hit) in both halves of the
ground. If an umpire is doubtful, he shall decide in favour of the team
appealed against. The umpire shall allow (the elements permitting) the
full or agreed time, neither more nor less, deducting all wastage, and
keep a record of the game. Until a decision is given, the ball is in play.
If there be only one umpire, there should be two linesmen to give
decisions as to the ball passing over the side-lines, and as to where and
by which team the ball shall be rolled-in.

Umpires and linesmen are debarred from coaching or claiming
during a game. The umpire shall refrain from putting the provision of
any rule into effect in cases where he is satisfied that by enforcing it he
would be giving an advantage to the offending team. The umpires
shall g^ve all decisions without waiting for an appeal.

22. Rough Play and Misconduct. — For rough play or misconduct the
umpire shall have a discretionary power to warn the offending player,
or to suspend him from further participation in the game.

23. Accidents. — When a player is temporarily incapacitated, the
umpire shall suspend the game. When it is resumed, the ball shall be
bullied off on a spot to be chosen by the umpire in whose half of the
ground the player was hurt.

Note.

Official Rings for the Measurement of Sticks

Official rings can be obtained only from the Honorary Secretary of
the Hockey Association— P. Collins, 6 Bedford Row, London, W.C.

NOTES ON THE RULES— THEIR WEAKNESSES, AND
REFORMS NECESSARY, AND A COMPARISON WHERE
POSSIBLE WITH THE RULES OF 1886

By an International

The writer will endeavour to point out any weaknesses in the rules,
possible improvements, and a comparison where possible with those
framed in 1886.

Rule I refers to the teams, and in the present-day rules mention
is made of the correct constitution of a team being 5 forwards, 3 half-
back, 2 backs, and a goal-keeper ; but the formation is not compulsory.
From time to time there has been much discussion on teams playing 4
half-backs and no goal-keeper, and this discussion still continues ; but up
to the present no suitable remedy has been suggested. Some suggest
the alteration of the off-side rule to 2 instead of 3, and others that the

RULES OF THE GAME 213

definition of a goal-keeper be, that he may not come outside the circle ;
but perhaps the most satisfactory legislation would be to stipulate that,
in the event of a team playing 4 halves or 3 backs, the ofF-side rule
should read, " unless there be at least two of his opponents nearer," etc

Rule 2. Captains. — No comment necessary.

Rule 3 refers to the ground, and the 1886 rule reads 100 yards long
and 50 yards wide. The present rule stipulates not less than 55 yards
wide nor more than 60, and nowadays in most cases the ground is
60 yards wide, and so a much more open game results.

Rule 4. Goals, Posts, etc. — Nowadays it is compulsory to have nets
attached to the posts and ground, but no mention was made in 1886,
and so one can easily realise what arguments must have arisen, as to
whether the ball passed in or outside the post, arfd it was on this
account that nets became general. Care should always be taken that
the nets are fastened close to the posts and ground, so that there is no
possibility of a ball passing through or under the net.

Rule 5. Striking Circle. — In drawing the line 15 yards from the
goal-line, the distance should measure to the outside of the white line,
as the rule states that the space enclosed by the lines, including the
lines themselves, constitutes the striking circle.

Rule 6. Ball. — The rule states that the ball shall be a leather cricket
ball, painted white, or made of white leather. As cricket balls vary in
weight and size, we should think it advisable to add after the words
" cricket ball " " of regulation match pattern and weight"

Rule 7. Sticks. -r-1\A original rules allowed the use of a 'stick any
weight and 7.\ inches wide, but now the weight is limited to 28 oz.
all told, and must pass through a 2-inch ring. According to the strict
rendering of this rule, a stick with leather tacked round the top of the
handle with nails, as is very often seen, is prohibited ; but there is no
doubt that the rule was not intended to refer to the handle at all, but to
prohibit the use of weighted heads and sticks with whalebone, etc., let in
the head. Perhaps it would be as well to add the words, "below the
splice " after "metal or other fittings."

Rule 8. Boots, ^/^.— -This rule states that no player shall wear spikes
or nails, etc. In Rules 6 and 7, with regard to " ball " and " sticks," the
umpire shall forbid the use of any other ball, and prohibit play with
a stick that does not comply with the rule ; but no mention is made that
he shall forbid the player wearing spikes or nails from taking part in
the game. This should certainly be made a penalty, and the writer is
aware of a case in which a player used regularly to wear boots with large
hobnails, instead of bars or studs.

Rule 9. Bully off, — This rule is the same as originally settled in
1886, and the only penalty for any breach is that the "bully" be taken
again. There is great scope for improvement in this rule, for the
penalty is entirely inadequate. It is a by no means uncommon

214 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

occurrence to see a player, other than the two " bullying," interfere in
the " bully," before one of the two taking part in the same has hit the
ball and so put it in general play, and it would make players much more
careful if the penalty were a free hit or " penalty comer." The former
would naturally be awarded for a breach of the rule outside the circles,
and the " penalty corner " for a breach inside the circle by one of the
defending team, and in the case of a breach by the attacking team,
inside the circle, the defending side would be given a free hit. Of
course, an "ordinary" bully inside the circle is not often seen nowadays,
as it is only given in the case of two players being simultaneously at
fault in obstructing each other, or when the game has been stopped for
an accident in the circle.

Rule lo. Goal.— There is nothing in this rule that calls for any
comments.

Rule II. 0^-side.— In comparing this rule with that of 1886, the first
point that strikes one is that the old rule is to all intents the one that is
now required to remedy the evils of the present one. The weakness of
the existing rule is the wording, " he may not be within 5 yards of the
ball," etc., and by this reading of the rule, a forward, who has dribbled
down the ground, with his partner close behind him, can, the moment
his partner takes a pass trom him, be given off-side, if, at the moment
of his partner accepting the pass, there are less than three of his
opponents nearer their own goal-line than he is, and if he (the giver of
the pass) is within 5 yards of his partner when he took the pass. As
this has happened on several occasions, it is plain that the rule requires
an alteration in the wording, for it is obviously most xmfair to penalise a
player after he has made a brilliant run and an equally brilliant pass.
Now, the wording of the original rule in 1886 was as follows : "and
may not touch the ball himself, nor in any way whatever prevent another
player from doing so," etc. The soundest proposal put forward to
remedy the existing grievance is to substitute for "he may not be
within 5 yards," etc., " he may not touch the ball himself, nor in any
way interfere with an opponent, or with the play, until," etc.

Rule 12. General Details.— The chief addition to the old rule is with
regard to coming in on the left side of a player, and of course this is of
paramount importance, as it entirely does away with the advantage that
used to be gained by body play. The rule itself seems to be very
concise and sound in principle, and it is difficult to suggest any
improvement.

Rule 13. Sticks. — As regards the rule itself, no comment is required,
but in the Penalties, (2) Inside the circles the penalty {d) reads, " For
any breach by the defending team the penalty shall be a * penalty
corner' or a * penalty bully' (except in the case of 'sticks,' when a
* penalty comer' only shall be allowed) A * penalty bully' should
only be given for a wilful breach of a rule, or when a goal would most

RULES OF THE GAME 215

probably have been scored but for the occurrence of the breach of the
rule."

Now take the case of a goal-keeper stopping a certain goal with
his stick above his shoulder or head. The rule distinctly excepts
" sticks " from a " penalty bully," but yet it would come under " a goal
would most probably," etc. Perhaps the following, added to the rule,
would meet the case : " If, in the umpire's opinion, a wilful breach of
' sticks ' is given, the umpire shall award a penalty bully."

Rule 14. — Undercutting requires no comment.

Rule 15. Free Hit. — The penalty enacts that if any player, other
than the striker, be within 5 yards of the ball at the time of the free hit,
the umpire shall order the hit to be taken again. As the rule and
penalty are very clearly defined, a player has no excuse for getting
within 5 yards, and as the culprit would probably be a forward, trying to
poach a yard on the edge of the circle, it might be advisable to award a
free hit, for a breach of this rule, to the defending team, and in the case
of the defending team erring,, to let the hit be taken again.

Rule 16. Penalty Bully. — There was no such rule framed in 1886,
but the present rule has done a great deal towards checking fouling in
the circle, etc., and is in every way a valuable addition.

Rule 17. Roll-in. — The great improvement in the roll-in, compared
with the original rule, lies in the fact that the ball may now be rolled-in
in any direction. Previously it had to be rolled-in at right angles to the
side-line, and as a result was continually going into touch again. One
often sees the ball bounced-in instead of rolled-in, and it would not only
save time, but make players more careful, if a free hit were awarded,
instead of the opposite side taking the roll-in, and the same penalty
might be exacted for a breach of the 5 -yards rule.

Rule 18. Behind. — This rule does not call for any comment, but it is
extraordinary the number of players who think that if the ball is hit out-
side the 25-yards line and glance off a defender nearer his goal-line than
the 25 yards, it is not a comer. It is only in the case of the defender
being farther away from his goal-line than the 25-yards line that allows
it to be bullied at the 25- yards line, after it has touched or been unin-
tentionally hit by the defender.

Rule 19. Corner. — Vide Rule 20.

Rule 20. Penalty Comer. — The comer hit differs from the old rule,
insomuch as the ball must be stopped motionless on the ground before
a goal can be scored, or must have touched the person or stick of one of
the defending team before the last stroke of the attacking team. The
Original rule allowed the flying shot to be taken from a comer hit, and it
was on account of the danger of that stroke that the present rule was
instituted; and even now, if a player chooses to take a flying shot, there
is no penalty attached, and he has the chance of the ball hitting a
defender and allowing him to get in another shot, and a goal scored

2i6 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

from the latter would be legitimate, though not from the former. As
the rule was framed to eliminate danger as much as possible, it seems
incredible that there is no penalty exacted for not stopping the ball
motionless. This rule (and of course the penalty corner comes under
the same category) and the off-side rule are the three rules that require
a much-needed reform. In the case of the comer hit, or penalty corner
hit, for the ball not being stopped motionless before shooting, the penalty
should be a free hit to the defending team. In Rule 20 one notices that
the wording should read, "and that no goal can be scored from a
penalty comer hit," etc., but in the rule the word " penalty " is omitted.

Rule 21. Umpires, — The only fault to be found with this rule is, that
according to the wording " shall allow the full or agreed time, neither
more nor less," the umpire may award a penalty bully in the last minute
or so of the game, and yet would have to blow the whistle for time,
perhaps, before the penalty bully had been finished, thereby causing a
distinct hardship on the attacldng team. Perhaps the best means of
remedying this would be to add a proviso to the mle, viz., " In the
event of a penalty bully being awarded, and time intervening before such
penalty bully is completed, the umpire shall refrain from calling time
until the penalty bully has been taken."

Rule 22. Rough play ; and

Rule 23. Accidents — call for no comment.

APPENDIX

IMPORTANT RECORDS

Venue

1895

Richmond .

1896

Dublin

1897

Wimbledon

1898

Dublin

1899

Richmond .

1900

Belfast

I90I

Surbiton

1902

Dublin

1903

Surbiton

1904

Dublin

1905

Surbiton

1906

Dublin . .

1907

Bromley

1908

Dublin

1898

Kersal

1899

Newport

1900

Kersal

I90I

Swansea

1902

Kersal

1903

Llandudno .

1904

Bath .

1905

Newport

1906

Manchester

1907

Llandudno .

1908

Bath .

INTERNATIONAL RECORDS (MEN)
England v. Ireland

England

England

England

Drawn

England

England

England

England

England

Ireland

England

England

England

England

England v, Wales

. England .

. England .

. England .

. England .

. England .

. England .

. England .

. England .

. England .

. England .

. England .

Goals

5

0

I

0

7

0

I

I

3

I

2

I

4

2

2

0

I

0

3

2

4

I

2

I

S

0

4

0

7

0

3

0

10

0

4

0

7

0

6

3

4

I

6

2

13

2

6

0

4

2

218 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

England v. Scotland

Venue

Goftis

1903 Birmingham

. England .

. 5 0

1904 Glasgow .

. Drawn ,

2 2

1905 Surbiton .

. England .

. 9 0

1906 Glasgow .

. England .

. 3 0

1907 Birmingham

. England .

. 3 0

1908 Edinburgh .

. England .

. 3 I

England v. France

1907 Beckenham . . ^ England .

1908 Paris Drawn .

14

2

1895
1896
1897
1898
1899
1900
X901
1902

1903
1904
1905
1906
1907
1908

Rhyl .

Rhyl .

Dublin

Llandudno .

Dublin

Llandudno .

Dublin

Abergavenny

Limerick

Abergavenny

Cork .

Cardiff

Dublin

Cardiff

Ireland v. Wales

Ireland
Ireland
Ireland
Ireland
Ireland
Ireland
Ireland
Ireland
Ireland
Ireland
Ireland
Ireland
Ireland
Ireland

3

0

5

0

5

0

10

0

4

0

5

I

9

I

7

3

7

0

4

2

8

2

8

0

S

0

4

2

1902
1903
1904
1905

1906

1907
1908

Belfast

Partick

Belfast

Partick

Belfast

Glasgow

Belfast

Ireland v. Scotland

Ireland
Ireland
Ireland
Ireland
Ireland
Drawn
Ireland

APPENDIX

219

Scotland v. Wales

Venue

Goals

I903

Newport

. Wales .

. 5 I

I904

Edinburgh .

. Wales .

. 5 I

1905

Llandudno .

. Drawn

2 2

1906

Edinburgh .

. Scotland .

. . 3 I

I907

Abergavenny

. Scotland .

2 I

i9o8

Glasgow

. Scotland .

2 I

1895

Brighton

1896

Dublin

1897

Blackheath

1898

Dublin

1899

Richmond

1900

Dublin

1901

Richmond

1902

Dublin

1903

Richmond

1904

Dublin

1905

Richmond

1906

Dublin

1907

Richmond

1908

Dublin

INTERNATIONAL RECORDS (LADIES)

England v. Ireland

, Drawn

. Ireland

. Drawn

. England .

. England .

. England .

. England .

. Ireland .

. England .

. England . •

. England .

. England .

. England .

. Ireland

1902 Glasgow

1903 Edinburgh .

1904 Richmond .

1905 Edinburgh .

1906 Richmond .

1907 Edinburgh .

1908 Richmond .

England v. Scotland

. England .

. England .

.' England .

. Drawn

. England .

. England .

. England .

4
II

7
I

4

2

5

1900 Cardiff

1 90 1 London

1902 Abergavenny

England v. Wales

. England .

. England .

. England .
Since abandoned

13 o
13 o
15 o

220 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

1899
1900
1901
1902
1903
1904
1905
1906
1907
1908

Venae

Llandudno

Dublin

Llandudno

Dublin

Wrexham

Dublin

Swansea

Dublin

Swansea

1901 Dublin

1902 Edinburgh

1903 Dublin

1904 Edinburgh

1905 Dublin

1906 Edinburgh

1907 Rathmines

1908 Edinburgh

1903 Glasgow

1904 Newport
1905

1906 Cardiff

1907 Glasgow
1908

Ireland v. Wales

. Ireland
. Ireland
Ireland
. Ireland
. Ireland
. Ireland
. Ireland
. Ireland
. Ireland
No match

Ireland v. Scotland

. Ireland

. Drawn

. Ireland

. Ireland

. Scotland

. Scotland

. Ireland

. Ireland

Scotland v. Wales

. Scotland .

. Scotland .
No match

. Scotland .

. Scotland .
No match

Goals

5

0

9

0

8

0

7

0

7

0

10

0

10

0

6

I

II

0

2

0

0

0

3

I

5

3

4

3

7

I

3

0

5

0

5

I

8

I

12

I

12

I

INTER-DIVISIONAL RECORDS (MEN)
South v. North

Goab

1890 South

1 89 1 South

1892 South

1893 South

1894 Drawn

1895 South

1896 South

1897 South

1898 South

1899 South

1900 North

1901 North

1902 South

1903 South

1904 South

1905 South

1906 South

1907 South

1908 South

Goalv

2

4
5

*7
6

4
7
4
4

* 7 — o is an^enor in Handbodc

APPENDIX

221

1897 South .

1898 Midlands

1899 No match

1900 Midlands

1 90 1 Midlands

1902 Drawn .

South t/. Midlands

Goals

1903 South

1904 South

1905 South

1906 South

1907 South

1908 South

Goals

1 901 West

1902 South .

1903 South .

1904 Drawn .

South v. West

1905 South

1906 South

1907 South

1908 West

7 o

3 o
13 o

4 3

North v. Midlands

1895 North .

• 5

I

1902 Midlands

. 4 0

1896 North .

. 4

2

1903 North .

• 3 I

1897 North .

I

0

1904 Midlands

. 2 I

1898 North .

3

2

1905 North .

. 2 I

1899 North .

3

2

1906 Midlands

. 4 I

1900 North .

3

2

1907 Midlands

• 5 I

1901 Drawn . .

2

2

1908 Midlands

• 4 3

North v. West

1905 North .

. 4

2 1907 North .

,

. 3

2

1906 North .

. 2

I 1908 North .

•

. 8

2

Midlands v. West

1895

West .

. I

0

1896

Midlands

4

3

1897

Midlands

3

2

1898

Midlands

2

I

1899

West .

4

0

1900

Midlands

3

0

I90I

Midlands

4

2

1902 Midlands

1903 West

1904 Midlands

1905 Midlands

1906 Midlands

1907 Midlands

1908 Midlands

222

THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

INTER-TERRITORIAL RECORDS (LADIES)
South v. North

1898 South .

1900 North .

1 90 1 South .

1902 Drawn .

1903 Drawn .

Goals

1904 South

1905 South

1906 South

1907 Drawn

1908 Drawn

Goals

I
II

6
3

4

South v. Midlands

1900 South .

1 901 Midlands

1902 South .

1903 South

1904 South

1903 South

1904 South

1905 South

4

5
2
2

0

3
I
I

1905 South .

1906 South

1907 Midlands

1908 South .

5
Sou

0
TH

V. West

3
5
6

0
0
0

1906 South .

1907 South

1908 West .

2 I

6 4

5 4

2 I

3 o
6 2

4 I

1907 East

South v. East
10 3 I 1908 South

North v. Midlands

1898 Drawn .

1899 North .

1900 North .

1 90 1 Midlands

1902 North .

1903 North .

1902 North

1903 North

1904 North

1905 North

0

0

1904

Midlands

3

0

1905

Drawn .

3

2

1906

Midlands

6

4

1907

North .

2

0

1908

North .

7

2

North

z/. West

4

0

1906

North .

4

0

1907

North .

3

I

1908

North .

2

I

APPENDIX

223

North v. East

I907

North .

Goals

. 3 2 1908 North
Midlands v. West

Goals
. 4 2

1^2

I903
I904
I905

Drawn .
West .

Midlands
Midlands

. 2 2
. 2 I
. 5 0
. 4 0

1906 Midlands

1907 Midlands

1908 Midlands

. 5 2
. 4 2
. 7 I

Midlands v. East

I907

Midlands

.7 2 1 1908 Midlands
East v. West

. 9 0

I907

East

.4 2 1 1908 East

. 6 I

INTER-UNIVERSITY RECORDS (MEN)
Oxford v. Cambridge

1890 Oxford .

. 2

0

1900 Cambridge .

• 3

2

1 89 1 Oxford .

3

2

1901 Cambridge .

4

I

1892 Drawn .

2

2

1902 Oxford .

3

2

1893 Oxford .

3

I

1903 Oxford .

3

0

1894 Drawn .

I

I

1904 Oxford .

I

0

189s Drawn .

3

3

1905 Oxford .

3

I

1896 Cambridge .

3

I

1906 Cambridge .

4

I

1897 Cambridge .

4

0

1907 Cambridge .

3

2

1898 Cambridge .

4

0

1908 Cambridge .

3

I

1899 Cambridge .

5

2

INDEX

A B C of his subject, 103
All England Women's Hockey Associa-
tion, 149, 150* 152» 153. 154, 166
Africa, South, 145
African, South, colonies, 146
Agar, 14

Alexander 1st of Scotland, 3
Alexandra College, Dublin, 153
American, North, possessions, 146
Amsterdam, 142
Anglo-Saxon School, 139
Antwerp, 143
Armstrong, Mrs., 160, 161
Army Hockey Association, 19, 91
Australia, Australian, 145
Austria, 19, 143
Avenue Club, 172
Avoca, Old, 180

Baillon, F. C, 176

Baker, M., 87, 194, 195

Baldwin, Miss Chris, 159

Balliol, 128

Bandy, i, 3; Association, 142

Barker, Merton, 109, 124, 171, 172

Barnes, 171

Bath, 118

Battersby, H. F., 4, 9

Beaumont, J. L., 133

Bedfordshire, 159

Beershot Athletic Club, 143

Belfast, 125

Belgium, Belgians, 19, 138, 142, 143

Bell, Miss, 160

Benson, F. R., 198

Berliner Club, 141

Bevan, Rev. A. E., 41, 56, 203, 204

Blackheath, 6, 132

Blatherwick, F. F., 99, 106

Bloemfontein, 145

Bolton, 49

Boycott, Mrs., 159; H. C, 91, 95. 96»

159, 175. 176
Brehm, A., 140
Bremen, 141
Bristol, 6, 96
Bromley, 40, 171, 179
Brookes, E., 7
Bruges, 143
Bums, 99, 114

Cairo, 146

Cambridge, University, Shire, Wander-
ers, 99, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132,
133. 134, 135.M53. 157, 163, 164

Canada, 138, 146, 147

Cape Colony, 146

Carroll, Miss I., 159

Carver, Miss H., 159 ; Miss A., 162

Channel Islands, 138

Cheltenham, 40, 134 ; Ladies' College,

152
Cheshire, 8
Christchurch, 145
Christopherson, S., 16, 32, 46, 47,

169, 170
Clapham, Misses M. and E., 151, 155
Clare College, 130
Clarence Park, 158
Clifford, R. F. M., 124
Club Athletique International, 139
Colonies, 143
Comber, H. G., 132
Connah, C, 117
Constantinople, 138
Continental countries, 138
Copenhagen, 4, 141, 142
Corinthian Club, 57, 144
Comer, penalty, 44, 56, 69, 85
Cornwall, 158

Crawford, J. N. and V. F. S., 180
Crimthaun, 2

15

2«5

226 THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

Crosdale, G., 178

Cut, left-hand, 22, 29

Cut, right-hand, 22, 28, 90, 108, 1 10

Danby, W., 178

Danish Hockey Association, 142

Denmark, 19, 138, 141

Denny, E. P., 138

Devon, 158

Dobbs, W. P., 124

Dod, Miss Lottie, 164

Donnybrook, 10

Dorset, 158

D'Oyly, Mrs., 151

*• Drive," 22, 23, 24, 25, 26

Dublin, 9, 120, 122, 123, 149, 155, 166,

204 ; University, 9, 10, 174, 181
Dundrum, 10
Dunlop, Douglas, 174
Dutch, 142, 143

Ealing, 8, 151

Eamshaw, P. R., 32, 48, 170, 171

East Gloucester, 40

East Molesey, 151

East Surrey, 7

Eastern Counties Hockey Association,

formation of, 19
Ebden, C. H. M., 70, 131
Edgbaston, 8
Edge Partington, 132
Edinburgh, 149, 155, 166, 177
Egypt, 138, 146
Elsinore, 142

Equipment, 35 ; of ground, 42, 82
Essex, 162

Europe, 167 ; European countries, 138
Evans, MissC, 163
Exeter College, 128

Faithfull, Miss L. M., 150, 152

Felsted, 133, 134

Fielding, 34, 88, loi, ill

Flag-men, 6

Football, Association, 12, 57, 133, 143

Rugby, 42, 49, 100, 105, 119, 122
Frampton, 16, 17
France, i, 138, 140; French, 17, 139.

140, 143
Freeman, H. S., 32, 87, 90, 9' » 95.

97, 109, 176, 180
Frederica Hockey Club, 142
Fremantle, Oval, 144

Gaskell, Miss C. J., 164
Germany. German, 138, I40, 143

Gibson, Rev, Canon, 10

Glasgow, 121, 155

Gloucester, 157, 158, 203

Goodwin, H. J., 132, 135

Graham, W. T., 10

Green, E. E. H., 177

Green, Eric, 37, 53, 72, 76, 173, I74»

176, 177, 180
Greens, Miss, 159
Guinness, Miss, 150

Haarlem, 142; Dames Hockey Club,

167
Hague, 167
Hamburg, x^o, 141
Hampstead, 132, 178, 179
Harrison, S. C. D., 124
Harvestehuder, 141
Haste Hockey Club, 142
Hawtrey, Miss B., 160, 161 ; Charles,

161
Hayman, H. B., 178
Hemsley, A. M., 144
Heneage, Miss, 155
Hereford, 158, 198, 199, 202
Herts, 159
Hewson, F. M., 77
Hilversum, 142, 167
Holland, 138, 142, 167
Holmes, E. P. C, 84, 125
Home, 131, 170
Homer, Miss, 162
Horsfall, A. M., 133
Hotel RusseU, 168
Hurst, C. S., 129, 133

India, 138, 143, I44,

Ireland, J. F., 132, 133

Ireland, Irish, 1, 1, 9, 15, 39, 1 17, 1 18,
119, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125,
126, 138, 149, 152, 153. 154,
I5S» 157, 166, 174, 181, 186, 194,
204

Isle of Man, 138

Jameson, Miss, 150, 153

Jenkins, Alan, 90, 96, 109, 202, 203

"Job," 22, 30, 108, no

Johannesburg, 145

Johnson, Miss E. G., 150, 153, 155,

IS9» 160, i6i,*l62
Johnstone, W. M., 9, 66, 67, 70, 120,

122, 124, 174, I75» 204
Jones, E. V., 32, 96, 167
Jones, Miss A., 156
Jordan, 49, 55, 72

INDEX

227

Kalendar of Amusements y 3

Kelley, Miss B., 159

Kent, Kentish, 159, 160, 163

Kersal, 118

Khedival Sporting Club, 146

King-Stephens, H. C, 99, 106

Klcrksdorp, 145

Knowles, R. E., 99, 177

Kroonstad, 145

Lancashire, 157, 163

Lawrence, Miss C, 150

Le Havre, 139

Leatherhead, 173

Leicestershire, 160

Leighton, A. F., 132

Leinster, 10, 204

Leir, Col. W., 158

Lille, 139

Lincolnshire, 159

Llancarvan, 3, 4

Llantwyt, 3, 4

Lloyd, Miss E. V., 157

Loch, Miss, 159, 164

Logan, 49, 52, S3, 64, "9

London, 139, 171, 172, 177, 179, 183

"Lunge," 22, 27, 28, 32, 60, 67, 90,

93, 95, 96, 105, 109, no, 113
Lyons, 139

Mack, Miss F. A., 162

Magdalen, 128

Malvern, 134

Manchester, 118

Marlborough, 133, 134

Marsden, E. L., 178

Middlesex, 14, 15, 17, 144, 157, 169,
172, 177

Midlands Hockey Association, forma-
tion of, 15

Mitchell, "Mary," 204, 205

Molesey, 8, 157, 171

Monkstown, 10

Monmouthshire, 201

Morton, G. H., 87

Mountford, C. C, 133

"Mow," 22, 25

Murray, Miss A., 156, 162

M*William, R., 174

National Hockey Union, 6
Netherlands, 142
New South Wales, 19, 138, 144
New Zealand, 19, 138, 145, 167
Newnham College, 164
Nilsen, H. B., 140

Noble, A. H., 99, 108
Norfolk, 119
Northampton, 15, 132
Northern Counties Hockey Association,
formation of, 14

Occasional (Oxford), 128, 129

O'Connor, 124, 125

O'Flaherty, 2

Ogygiay 2

Old Deer Park, 149

Old Rossallians, 60, 120

Olympic Games, contest, $2, 80, 87,

140, 168, 177
One-handed play (condemned), 61
Ontario Hockey Association, 146
Orange River Colony, 146
Oriel College, 128
Orient, 142
Orr. F. W., 178

Page, E. W., 99, 104, 124

Palmerston, 9, 121, 174, 180, 181

Paris, 139; Exhibition, i;

Parks, The, 127, 128

Pattison, J. H., 91

Pawling, S. S., 178

Pearson, T. W., 119

Penalty, bully, 65, 85 ; comer, 44, 56,

69, 85 ; goal, 85
Penfields, 120
Penny cuick, Miss, 159, 164
Perth, 144
Petersons, 87, 88, 121, 124, i^, 190,

195
Pethick, T., 29, 33, 55, 71, 72, 172,

173, 180
Phillpotts, Miss, 159, 162
Pilgrims, 144
Pimm, C, 180
Piper, Miss, 151
Playford, A., 179, 180
Potchefstroom, 145
Pretoria, 145

Pridmore, R. G., 52, 53, 80
" Push" stroke, 22, 31, 32, 47, 52, 60,

71,78,94, 99, 106, 115, 119
Putney, 171

Queen Elizabeth's School, Kingston-
on-Thames, 169
Queen's Club, 14

Rabett, Mr., 144

Racing Club de France, 139

Radley School, 171

228

THE COMPLETE HOCKEY PLAYER

Raeburn Place, 149, 155

Raynor, 131

Rees, P. M., 52

Repton, 134

" Reverse " stroke, 22, 26, 27, 71, 72,

77, 94> 95, "O
Rheims, 139
Rhyl, 118
Richmond, 40, 120, 123, 148, 156, 157,

163 ; Athletic Ground, 179
Robinson, L. M., 29, 99, 104, 105,

no; J. Y., 99
Rodger, Miss K., 164
Roll-in, 51, 70, 74, 108
Rossall, 133, 134
Rotterdam, 142, 167
Roubaix, 139
Rungsted, 142

Salisbury Plain, 43

"Scoop" stroke, 22, 31, 32, 47, 60,

106, 115, 119, 134, 135
Scotland, Scottish, Scotch, i, 2, 12,

17, 118, 121, 122, 125, 126, 140,

149, 152, 154, 15s. 156, 157, 166

" Shinney," 5

Shinning, 6

Shinty, i

"Shove" (Shoveller), 168

" Shove " stroke, 134, 135

Shoveller, S. H., 17, 29, 46, 47, 48,
49, 52, 53, 55, 59, 60, 64, 80, 84,
96, 104, 168, 169, 170, 171, 179

Shropshire, 203

Smith, A. L., 129

Smith, A. L. F., 129

Smith, G. O., 57

Solihul Club, 8

Somerset, 158, 203

Southern Counties Hockey Associa-
tion, formation of, 17, 18

Southgate, 8, 79, 132

Sporting Club Universitaire de France,

139
St. Mark's School, Windsor, 173
St Servan, 139
Staffordshire, 175
Staines, 79, 173, 174, 176, 177, 179,

180
Stocks, F. C, 99, III ; family of, 129 ;

Miss, 160, 161
Stoddart, A. E., 49, 178
Stranderton, 145

Suffolk, 159

Surbiton, 6, 7, 41, 121, 123, 178, 204
Surrey, 17, 151, 157, 159, 164, 165
Sussex, 157, 158, 162, 163

Tatham, Miss, 150

Teddington, 8

Tennent, H. M., 18, 129

Theed, Miss M., 151

Three Rock Rovers, 10

"Thrust," right-hand, 22, 82, 96, 113

Timperley, 8

Transvaal, 138, 145, 146

Trinity College, 128, 130

"Trinity Rush," 204

Turf Club, 146

Turkey, 138

Uhlenhorster Hockey Club, 140,

141
Ulster, 204

Umpires' Association, 148, 184, 189
Undercutting, 3, 25, 115
Union des Societ^s Frangaises de Sports

Athletique, 139, 141
United Kingdom, 138
Uppingham, 133, 134
Utrecht, 167

Vancouver, 147

Victoria, 147

Volley, 22, 32, 33, 106

Wales, Welsh, i, 12, 15, 16, 117, 118,
119, 120, 121, 122, 125, 126, 138,

152, 154, 156, 157, 199. 201

Warwickshire, 157, 203

Wauchope, Don, 49

Wellington College, 134; (New Zea-
land), 145

West, start of Association, 15

Western Transvaal League, 145;
Western Australia, 138, 144

Westgate, 8

Weston-super-Mare, 158, 172

Westrays, 124

Wilts, 158

Wimbledon, 2, 6, 7, 151, 169, 170,
178

Winnipeg, 147

Worcestershire, 203

Yerburgh, 14

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